The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are finally coming to the West, which means that fans of Phoenix Wright games have two entirely new games to look forward to. In The Great Ace Attorney, one of Phoenix Wright’s ancestors, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, travels to Victorian London to team up with acclaimed super sleuth…Herlock Sholmes?
Wait, no, that can’t be right.
While in the Japanese edition of Great Ace Attorney (Dai Gyakuten Saiban) features a team-up with Sherlock Holmes, the Western releases features a completely different character. A completely. Different. Legally. Distinct. Character.
Why? Because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Estate is nothing if not litigious, and they have a very liberal interpretation of what constitutes their copyrighted material.
Lots of love,
BretonStripes (http://twitter.com/bretonstriped) and Kotor (http://twitter.com/kotorcomics)
Sources:
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ace-attorneys-creators-talk-the-new-title-and-loca/1100-6440971/
https://copyrightlately.com/enola-holmes-copyright-infringement-case/
https://copyrightlately.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/conan-doyle-estate-v-legendary-pictures-complaint.pdf
https://www.arthurconandoyle.com/copyrights.html
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/conan-doyle-estate-loses-appeal-712135
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28363492
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28655841
https://www.crunchyroll.com/en-gb/anime-news/2012/01/02-1/original-lupin-character-enters-public-domain-in-2012
Source
The Conan Doyle state once more demonstrating their lust for money.
Easiest way to avoid getting sued: Make your character incredibly similar, yet legally distinct.
"RUN, IT'S GODZILLA!"
"It only looks like Godzilla! But due to international copyright law, it is not."
"STILL, LET'S RUN LIKE IT IS GODZILLA!!"
the conclusion of this video just makes sense
Finally, after years of waiting, I will be able to see my Sherlock Holm- I mean Herlock Sholmes.
tbh, it was known from the capcom gigaleak that tgaa will be annouced somewhere in april or may.
I just want edgeyyyyy
It’s too ironic that Ace ATTORNEY has legal issues!!!
Another case of Copyright law is being abused and stupid af .
What’s not mentioned in the video is that the US court ruling that declared Holmes to be in the public domain also called the Conan Doyle estate’s business model “extortion”. They enforced a copyright they didn’t have by intimidating creators with threats of lawsuits, and since no one wants to go to court the creators and producers would always pay what the estate wanted.
Kind of silly and stupid reasons to this, but I am glad there is finally a world wide release of these great games. I hope they will be released on other platforms other then PS4, it would be a huge missed opportunity to not be available on the Nintendo Switch.
Also for those who can't wait or are curious of the sort of prequel series, there are unofficial English translations of ALL the cases of the first game and at least the first 2 of the 2nd game and it is excellent work. Really enjoyed them and I think you will love the stories and characters.
No, Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain. Crapcom just hates its Western audience
I love Herlock Sholmes as much as I love Percule Hoirot.
Someone in Capcom localization should have played Code Realize or London Detective Mysteria. Though in both cases, Sherlock Holmes still had is name in both localization.
CR had him living in as the Herlock Sholmes for most part of the story before revealing it wasn't a copyright avoidance. (Reason was dumb though lol) While the LDM had him as a father to his son Herlock.
But, I haven't played Wintertide Miracles to see if Aksys still kept it Sherlock Holmes after he became a love interest.
So in Arsene Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes (AKA, Distaff Sherlock Holmes)…The Titular detective (AKA No S.Holmes) was written as a more competent Proto-Zenigata, Whoah Mind Blown!!
Also, I Got a Notorious Example of Changing o Creating a similar character due to Executive Meddling, more specifically the latter incidence with the Doom Patrol run by Grant Morrison for the DC Vertigo imprint. in This case, John Constantine was supposed to appear in this Iteration of the Doom Patrol, but at the time DC Comics editorial policy forbade Constantine's use outside of his self-contained Vertigo continuity. So the Character Willoughby Kipling was created as a substitute and was based upon Richard E. Grant's title character from the British cult film Withnail and I (In contrast to Constantine being based in the Musician Sting). He appeared intermittently, helping the team against various threats, such as the Cult of the Unwritten Book and the Candlemaker.
I can't wait until 2023 where everyone can sell me their team up of "nice" Sherlock Holmes with Steam Boat Willy's Mickey Mouse and Action Comics No. 1's Superman.
Now give me the game in spanish…
You know, it doesn't hurt to create an original character who is a brilliant detective that can learn to be human. Then you can copyright that character and make millions in the long run.
Makes you wonder why they never go with Herlock Sholmes in the first place then.
No matter. Got 2 games to look forward to during the pandemic.
Suggestion: Why Crash Isn't In Smash Yet?
Title On Thumbnail: The Crash Smash bros Situation
Pain
That's a pretty absurd abuse of copyright. Like… just… no.
That also explains the localization problems of Detective Conan ( it also got troubles from the holders of Conan the barbarian rights)
Hoping you to do the story of ZUN and his Touhou Project in the next video. 🙂
I'll accept it as his funny dub name.
Well that was a suprisingly intriguing story.
Well this is interesting. Copyright can be confusing.
Uh…… let me give an easier version for everyone. The Ace Attorney games don't sell well so Capcom found it hard to justify to keep bring games over. That is why some titles were digital only. This video was cute but let's be more realistic.
Wait Persona didn't do anything! It was just tangentially related due to referencing a literary work this also references! I've been lied to!
Moral Of The Story:
The detective doesn't listen when you say "No sh**, Sherlock", and that's why it took this long.
finally
What's odd is that if Capcom had waited a year or so, Sherlock would actually be in the public domain and allowed to be called his proper name. I don't know how they're going to handle all the characters, especially because DGS is such a love letter to the Sherlock Holmes' stories, but I guess we'll just have to see.
4:40 don't say it don't think it
Why didn't it just come to europe?
Disney might have made it longer but that benefits everyone not just them, otherwise big companies like them could take from independent unknown creators and those creators would never have a chance to make any money off their works.
I love how the video is actually styled like a ace attorney case
How come movies like Sherlock Gnomes are getting greenlit, but when a Japanese company does it, they get the banhammer?
Fun fact disney tried to make micky mouse copy right last infinity when that got rejected they offered infinity-1 day
I’ve never played Ace Attorney in my life but I still enjoyed this video.
Copyright law : You can't release the great ace attorney in the US because Sherlock Holmes is copyrighted
Capcom : But his name is Herlock Sholmes
Copyright law : Understandable have a great day
LUPIN!!!!
Thats stupid why just name him something different and get re design him slightly whole 2 games down the drain because of a unfinished plot line and because of stubberness of changing sherlock homes
So the Great Ace Attorney is using how a property that was using an blatant Copyright dodging name ended up in the Public domain freeing up both itself and the mock name. Said mock-name already being pretty much iron-clad from scrutiny due to its age. All to avoid having to deal with the Conan Doyle Estate. That is just deviously clever.