WoW cracks down on “greenskin” racism

[Empower]

If we clean up the language can we get a boob slider to celebrate how mature we are now?

[SunspotAnims]

Does this really matter when characters from both factions call us things like filth? Or say things like "death to the living".

There are no green people so no one can feel insulted by that unless we are projecting players into their characters at which point the case i just made is there. Those are actually insults being tossed at players. What's it gonna be Blizz? :P

You're looking at it from the wrong angle. It's not that people are going to be offended by "greenskin," it's that people might not want to fight under a character who mimics real-world racism.

[Gangresnake]

Get out of here with your reasonable explanation. Can't you see we're pitchforking a manufactured outrage over here?

There's nothing reasonable about implying that GW would somehow have intellectual property rights over the word "greenskin"

[Lorgar Aurelian]

I kinda doubt it because greenskin is a damn general term, especially in this context it hardly refers to a specific character but rather a race with green skin.

Like, there's an NPC in the game literally called "Captain Greenskin", where i think a much clearer case could be made because it's an actual character rather than just a description for a race who happens to have green skin.

Like seriously, Orcs in itself ("similiar" physique, Warlike, Alien invaders) are probably a bigger copyright infringement on Warhammer than the term "Greenskin".

Games work shop has a tendency to try and copy write incredibly general terms like when they tried to copyright space marine its possible that they have or are trying to grab green skin in a similar case likely in some sort of "refers to a race" fashion.

Just recently they have been going buck wild with there copy right so sending a letter to meance blizzard would be in character.

- - - Updated - - -

There's nothing reasonable about implying that GW would somehow have intellectual property rights over the word "greenskin"

Given there track record it's perfectly reasonble to think they'd try something like get rights to greenskin as they have done similar things in the past and have been really cracking down on copy right in the last few months taking down fair use's of there ip and copy right striking model reviews.

https://gizmodo.com/games-workshop-i...mark-t-5982201

[Xorzor]

Chinavision-Jizzard doing this only proves that it's a PR stunt. WoW will suffer. But it is their fault in the first place.

[Santti]

Meaningless gesture, but honestly, this shouldn't even make news.

This is one of those things, where people are purposefully seeking something to be outraged about. And you land... on this.

I can't even.

[Swnem]

You're looking at it from the wrong angle. It's not that people are going to be offended by "greenskin," it's that people might not want to fight under a character who mimics real-world racism.

Seems convuluted to me.

[MoanaLisa]

Not to put a damper on everyone who feels the need to reject Blizzard for virtue signaling (whether true or not), it's very likely a trademark thing since there is already a greenskin race in Warhammer (Games Workshop).

https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Greenskins

The Greenskins are a highly primitive and warlike race of bestial humanoid barbarians and raiders that occupy much of the Eastern Hemisphere of the Warhammer World.

The term "Greenskins" is a common collective description used by many civilised nations to refer to the forces of the Orcs and Goblins and other biologically related races.

I realize this won't stop the probably irrelevant bitching but it's probably worth holding back and not looking foolish when the true reason surfaces. This simply may be Blizzard clearing the way so there isn't a problem.

I wouldn't expect a disrepected news source like RT to do anything but try and rile gamers up over this. Y'all do what you need to do though. Despite the fact that the term is mildly generic it's not at all impossible that Games Workshop has said something about this to Blizzard through lawyers or more informally. The Warhammer franchise has been doing a lot of this sort of thing the last few months.

[Rendark]

Not to put a damper on everyone who feels the need to reject Blizzard for virtue signaling (whether true or not), it's very likely a trademark thing since there is already a greenskin race in Warhammer (Games Workshop).

https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Greenskins


I realize this won't stop the probably irrelevant bitching but it's probably worth holding back and not looking foolish when the true reason surfaces. This simply may be Blizzard clearing the way so there isn't a problem.

I wouldn't expect a disrepected news source like RT to do anything but try and rile gamers up over this. Y'all do what you need to do though.

You're probably right but it sure is a convenient time to remove it.

[Kralljin]

Games work shop has a tendency to try and copy write incredibly general terms like when they tried to copyright space marine its possible that they have or are trying to grab green skin in a similar case likely in some sort of "refers to a race" fashion.

Just recently they have been going buck wild with there copy right so sending a letter to meance blizzard would be in character.

It just seems very odd because simply based on the nature on how the phrase get used, one could copyright virtually any X-skin (with X being any colour) word and attempt squeeze money from the owner of any fantasy franchise.
I'm not into Star Wars but still willing to bet that Alien Races there have been referred to as Blue, Green or whatever skins in some AU Material.

The concept of the mere usage of X-skin being subject to copyright seems very dubious, i'd could see if it Blizzard attempted to make it a more central phrase referring to Orcs in marketing material or whatnot...but in this instance is just seems plain weird.

Disregarding that we're talking about here about altering existing content, whereas in Instances such as Grommash solely being referred to as "Grom" (since WoD and onwards, because there also seem copyright business going on), they didn't retroactively change anything in WoW, Grom is still being referred to as "Grommash" in pre WoD content on occassion.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

You're probably right but it sure is a convenient time to remove it.

It actually line's up perfectly with Games workshop going scorched earth. fan made 3d models, taken down. Fan animations, taken down. bloody product reviews, copy right strike.

all of this in the last month or two and likely alot more.

[MoanaLisa]

It just seems very odd because simply based on the nature on how the phrase get used, one could copyright virtually any X-skin (with X being any colour) word and attempt squeeze money from the owner of any fantasy franchise.
I'm not into Star Wars but still willing to bet that Alien Races there have been referred to as Blue, Green or whatever skins in some AU Material.

This makes perfect sense except we're talking about an IP that houses separate video games that are somewhat alike (Fantasy RPG). Read or scan through the wiki link that I posted. It goes on for pages. It's not some casual term in the Warhammer Universe (IP). As I said before perhaps it was brought to Blizzard's attention and they as a courtesy are getting out of the way. If it were me I would do that instead of inviting yet more lawsuits and legal demands to stop violating an IP. It's not worth going to court over.

Here's the link again: https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Greenskins

[Lorgar Aurelian]

It just seems very odd because simply based on the nature on how the phrase get used, one could copyright virtually any X-skin (with X being any colour) word and attempt squeeze money from the owner of any fantasy franchise.
I'm not into Star Wars but still willing to bet that Alien Races there have been referred to as Blue, Green or whatever skins in some AU Material.

The concept of the mere usage of X-skin being subject to copyright seems very dubious, i'd could see if it Blizzard attempted to make it a more central phrase referring to Orcs in marketing material or whatnot...but in this instance is just seems plain weird.

Disregarding that we're talking about here about altering existing content, whereas in Instances such as Grommash solely being referred to as "Grom" (since WoD and onwards, because there also seem copyright business going on), they didn't retroactively change anything in WoW, Grom is still being referred to as "Grommash" in pre WoD content on occassion.

It is Odd and it could very well be that they can't actually hold the copy right but are still threatening people as if they can. If games workshop wasn't doing what it is at the moment I wouldn't think it was the case but they have been burning fair use bridges like fan animations or fan made 3d models so I wouldn't be surprised if there playing chicken with blizzard and sent them a bullshit cease and desist.

[cuafpr]

smoke and mirrors to show the courts a long list of things they did to change their ways..nothing more..

[LedZeppelin]

RT.com, the internet's leading source for unbiased reporting... 7 out of 5 Russians agree.

its been posted on wow head

[Drusin]

So I've never said greenskin before (or heard it said or used in chat) and now I'll say it daily,

[Kralljin]

This makes perfect sense except we're talking about an IP that houses separate video games. Read or scan through the wiki link that I posted. It goes on for pages. It's not some casual term in the Warhammer Universe (IP).

Again, nature of referring to a race based on their skin colour is so omnipresent within fantasy franchises that the attempt to copyright the usage of it in any fantasy franchise smells more like a patent troll (or copyright troll) than anything else.

It is Odd and it could very well be that they can't actually hold the copy right but are still threatening people as if they can.

It's possible but i still question it on the nature, i'd get if it were some official description or anything, but looking over WoWpedia, the term has barely been used on "official capacity" within the universe itself, let's be real, this quote flew over most people's head.

So even if true, they quite likely merely assumed an infringement.

But here's some trivia, Marines (you know, Starcraft), is literally called Space Marine in the german client of the game.

https://starcraft2.com/de-de/game

SPACE-MARINE
Leichte Infanterie, die Luft- und Bodenziele angreifen kann. Verletzlich, aber in großer Zahl furchteinflößend.

And that's shit that unquestionably infringes upon Warhammer copyright.

[MoanaLisa]

It is Odd and it could very well be that they can't actually hold the copy right but are still threatening people as if they can. If games workshop wasn't doing what it is at the moment I wouldn't think it was the case but they have been burning fair use bridges like fan animations or fan made 3d models so I wouldn't be surprised if there playing chicken with blizzard and sent them a bullshit cease and desist.

I would think less of Games Workshop if they actually sent Blizzard a C&D. It's possible though. It's a little wearying watching people huff and puff and pontificate about the one true reason why this is happening because no one here knows shit about it. I'm thinking it's just a benign legal thing that requires a tiny adjustment on Blizzard's part. I was surprised at the extensive wiki article about it. It became very clear that no matter whether or not we imagine that 'greenskin' is too generic to be trademarked it's clearly not a trivial thing in the Warhammer IP. I suppose we'll see a tweet from Blizzard or something about this soon.

[Rendark]

It actually line's up perfectly with Games workshop going scorched earth. fan made 3d models, taken down. Fan animations, taken down. bloody product reviews, copy right strike.

all of this in the last month or two and likely alot more.

Ya that is fucked up.

[Gangresnake]

Given there track record it's perfectly reasonble to think they'd try something like get rights to greenskin as they have done similar things in the past and have been really cracking down on copy right in the last few months taking down fair use's of there ip and copy right striking model reviews.

https://gizmodo.com/games-workshop-i...mark-t-5982201

Many companies try to trademark a lot of theam. I mean sure they tried, but they failed. And it's understable since space marines predate GW by 40 years.
Now if GW were unable to trademark the iconic SPEHSSMUHREENS I fail to see how "greenskin" can even be considered.

I'm gonna be honest, I think the "trademark" talk is a cope to deny the reality of what's happening, aka another akward attempt by the dev at "sanitizing" the game to make it fit weird woke specifications. I'd have a lot more doubt if it was the first time it happened, but they've been on a roll lately.