Screenwriters Jonathan Bissoon-Dath and Jennifer Dath had a bone to pick in court with Sony and "God of War" designer David Jaffe. The pair alleged that movie treatments they had produced contained story elements that were appropriated for Sony's game. Ultimately, the judge in the case disagreed with them, though, and Sony has been given a green light to carry on with their business, and the court's decision reads a little like a game review.
"While violence is not absent from plaintiffs' works, it lacks the thematic centrality and intensity seen in 'God of War,'" Judge Marilyn Hall Patel wrote in her decision, posted by The Hollywood Report. For instance, plaintiffs' protagonist refuses to kill such an 'amazing animal' as the rampaging Nemean Lion and instead transforms the beast into his 'tamed pet.'"
She also called the plot details in question too basic and explained why that was the case in her verdict.
"No one can own the basic idea for a story," Patel stated. "General plot ideas are not protected by copyright law; they remain forever the common property of artistic mankind."
Considering the story is rooted in the events that according to legend led to the first Olympic Games being established, it seems like it must have been a bit of a long shot to lay claim such details anyway. It'll be interesting to see if Bissoon-Dath and Dath's movie treatment ever gets produced, though, so that we can all find out how similar they are for ourselves.
Do you think the judge in the case made the right decision? Would you be bummed Sony had to quit making "God of War" games? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.