'Dead Rising' stirs 'Dawn' Rip Off
Should helpless humans ever find themselves trapped in a shopping mall in the midst of a flesh-eating zombie takeover, armed with the finest in zombie-skull-cracking weaponry, they should be able to rest assured that their plight, if turned into a film, won't be ripped off by Japanese videogame-maker Capcom. But, alas, such is not the case! According to Reporter.blogs.com, New Line Cinema has raised a complaint to Capcom over the similarities in their game Dead Rising to the classic 1979 George Romero film and the 2004 remake, Dawn of the Dead. (Dead Rising reportedly features humans fighting zombies in a shopping mall.) Capcom says, however, that "humans battling zombies in a shopping mall" is a "wholly unprotectible idea" by copyright standards.
In addition to their public outcry, Capcom is firing back, seeking a declaratory judgment and attorneys, fees after because of New Line's complaint. The company is also targeting the MKR Group, the proclaimed owner of the copyright to the Dawn of the Dead films. Capcom has gone as far as labeling their game with a disclaimer renouncing all affiliation with the film: "This game was not developed, approved or licensed by the owners or creators of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead." The complaint was filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
For more on zombies George A. Romero style, watch the trailer for his latest film Diary of the Dead. And keep checking back for our exclusive interview with Romero on his latest zombie opus!
