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id Software Wants Android Ports Removed

Gavin Ogden's picture

By Gavin Ogden

December 15, 2009

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id Software and parent ZeniMedia have filed a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint in an attempt to get non-id developed mobile games out of the Google Android mobile phone market.

There are reported to be 11 apps in total available, ranging from versions of games like Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein to non game-specific apps such as a Doom Soundboard, according to GamePolitics.

The developers of a Doom port sent Android And Me the following note: “Some of you may have noticed that Doom for Android (FREE) no longer shows up in the market.  ZeniMedia, which owns iD Software had filed a DMCA notice with Google Android Market and requested all Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein games be removed do to copyright infringement.

“Although the Doom source code, was open sourced, and the application was based on a port of the PrBoom engine, the application is still suspended.  My mistake was allowing the download of the Plutonia  and TNT WADs, at least that is what I suspect. Although I may not be able to distribute the application through the Market, the APK can still be downloaded and installed through the web.”

squarepusher's picture
On December 15th squarepusher said:

[quote]
ZeniMedia, which owns iD Software had filed a DMCA notice with Google Android Market and requested all Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein games be removed do to copyright infringement.
[/quote]

So to make a long story short: now that they are under the umbrella of a larger company and no longer independent, id Software's (and Carmack's) philosophy has been compromised. Guess Doom 3 will be open-source now when Hell freezes over (literally) - given this development.

I just wish we could cut the corporate crap and just have these articles state upfront what it's REALLY about. Guess Carmack will have no choice but to love Big Brother from now on. I wonder who will be playing the part of O'Brien.

toadwarrior's picture
On December 16th toadwarrior said:

That may be true but the only thing that people get to use when their engine is open sourced is the engine. Not the name or assets.

Those developers used both trademark names and assets (in one he admits to pointing to where a user can download Final Doom wads which would be piracy) and attempted to make money from it.

The code has been GPL'ed so if they weren't providing the source code as well, they were in violation of that. I'm not sure if they were or not but I'd actually be tempted to investigate that. They aren't offering any game content so if they give the source then you don't have to buy from them.

They should do something like PRBoom (http://prboom.sourceforge.net/) and come up with their own name. Once they're not using trademarks or copyrighted material then they'll be fine even if their software will run Quake Paks or Doom Wads providing of course they don't point to sites where people can get them illegally.

In fact there is still at least one Doom engine based game on the market but it's using custom Wads.