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MLB Taking A Legal Swing At Fallout 4 Modder
Fallout 4's Commonwealth isn't a perfect recreation of Boston (nor is it meant to be), but it is most definitely Bean Town. The map even includes Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, but none of that team's iconic imagery.
Modder Richie Branson decided he was going to fix that. Via a simple add-on, players can change the game's baseball jersey to one that bears the name of Red Sox first baseman David Ortiz, and the Red Sox logo to a baseball helmet. Unfortunately, while Sox fans will love it, the MLB isn't amused.
Speaking with the Boston Globe, the league says it's going to enforce its intellectual property rights. Specifics of how it intends to do that aren't clear yet, though.
Given that licensing rights for sports teams and leagues are big business, the MLB sees even this simple, free mod that does not inure its creator as an infringement. Branson told the Globe that he doesn't have the resources to fight the MLB and that if he hears directly from the league with a cease and desist, he'll comply with the order.
[Source: Boston Globe]
Our Take
The MLB has every right to protect its trademarks and imagery. However, it isn't a great public relations move to drop the legal hammer on a fan expressing his appreciation of a player in this way.
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