The officialTwitter/X account ofMultiVersus– the free-to-play fighting game that crosses over multiple characters from different Warner Bros IPs – recently posted a video with audio from the popular online animated seriesCharlie the Unicorn. However, this didn’t sit well with its creator, Jason Steele AKA FilmCow.
MultiVersus is a game by Warner Bros, a company with an annual revenue of around 40 billion dollars.Here they are using my work, without permission, to advertise their game.https://t.co/t5LRznScdD
On his personal account, Steele confirmed that Warner Bros never asked for permission to use his audio on this short, which was meant to advertise a new Unicorn-themed skin for the game’s sole original character, Reindog. He also pointed out how this is a gigantic company that is worth billions of dollars, so someone could have easily consulted him before posting the short, which blatantly used actual audio from the original online series that features Steele’s voice.
It seems that his response quickly reached Warner Bros and developer Player First Games, because they deleted the Unicorndog video from Twitter/X, TikTok and other social media websites, although users of the game’s respective Subreddithave managed to archive it.
Was it okay for MultiVersus to use audio from Charlie the Unicorn?
Some people began wondering if it was morally right for Jason Steele to prevent Warner Bros and Player First Games from using audio fromCharlie the Unicorn. Were any fan-made works that referenced the classic online series going to be safe?Steele himself popped up on r/MultiVersusand explained the situation in more detail. He immediately clarified that he has no problem with any non-commercial uses of his work and that he has actually given explicit permission in the past (and he plans on continuing to do so). He even cited aCharlie the UnicornEaster Egg inWorld of Warcraftas a reference that he has no problem with.
However, Warner Bros used his audio and his own voice for commercial purposes. Beyond asking for permission, Steele also criticized the company for its hypocrisy when it comes to protecting its copyright. He mentioned how Warner Bros has “used IP law as a weapon” in the past few years, like when it took down fan-made works like MeatCanyonWabbit Seasonvideo or when it sent a cease and desist letter to Vera Drew, director of the fan filmThe People’s Joker.
Steele concluded that if a big company like Warner Bros can enforce copyright law to protect its IPs, then so can he, especially when it is profiting off of his work. Most people in the community agreed with Steele’s criticism of Warner Bros, although manyMultiVersusfans were once again displeased with the fact that the gamekeeps getting negative attention. This is not the first timeMultiVersushas spawned some mild controversy since, in the past, people have criticizedits monetization modelandits year-long content hiatus.
