-- February 9, 2006 by: Chris Remo
Recently, David Pratt of the Canadian Red Cross sent a letter to a Vancouver law firm representing several game developers, requesting that the games industry cease usage of the emblem of the Red Cross in games. The familiar icon is of course used in an enormous number of video games, most of them first person shooters, to represent health packs or similar items. A few days ago, his letter was published on game industry legal advice site GameLaw.ORG. Pratt points out that not only is the use of the emblem being conducted without the consent of Canadian Red Cross or any other Red Cross organizations, but its unauthorized use is prohibited by international law under the Geneva Convention.
From the letter:
It is our considered view that the various displays of the Red Cross which are referenced above are inappropriate and are a breach of international and domestic law. The fact that the Red Cross is also used in videos which contain strong language and violence is also of concern to us in that they directly conflict with the basic humanitarian principles espoused by the Red Cross movement. The crux of the problem is that the misuse of the Red Cross in video games is not only in contravention of the law, it also encourages others to believe that the emblem of the Red Cross is "public property" and can be freely used by any organization or indeed for commercial purposes. The time and effort we must spend across Canada protecting the emblem of the Red Cross is not inconsequential. The same holds true for the American Red Cross and other national societies around the world.
Click here for the full text.
While it would be admittedly impractical to attempt to address past uses of the emblem on a case by case basis, the organization hopes that publishers and developers can commit to a dialogue with the Red Cross to ensure that its emblem is not used illegally in the future. I contacted Mr. Pratt to discuss the situation and try to get a bigger picture of how the Red Cross' grievances with the games industry relate to the larger picture of the emblem's misuse and the organization's efforts to educate about the emblem's legal status.
One thing that was made repeatedly clear was that the Red Cross is in no way targeting the video game industry in particular; the society deals with infringement of the symbol on a frequent basis, and considers any unauthorized usage to be inappropriate. However, the video game industry's portrayal of the emblem is widespread and the Red Cross is concerned that it may create the false impression, particularly among younger gamers, that it is a public domain image. The current political climate in regards to video games, which is undeniably one of condemnation, perhaps infuses this issue with unavoidable social overtones. Pratt was repeatedly insistent that there is absolutely no agenda at work; this is a matter of control of an internationally protected emblem. The fact that it has sprung up now is unrelated to any legislative or otherwise political concerns surrounding video games.
Full interview: http://www.shacknews.com/extras/2006/020906_redcross_1.x
Hrm....
