D'oh! It looks like Marvel Comics is joining the bandwagon in fortifying their defenses against copyright infringement in LittleBigPlanet. Apparently, Marvel has been hounding Sony to start moderating user-created customized Sackboy costumes that take from the Marvel universe.

We're not sure if this already applies in-game, but as far as the LittleBigWorkshop is concerned, some people have already gotten some emails from Sony stating that they had to mod some users' creations.

Over at the LittleBigWorkshop forums, one guy by the name of MuffinMan71 talks of his plight. Turns out that the Sackboy in question was one based on the Thing (like, Fantastic Four, Thing). Here's part of the email he received from the Workshop:

We received a notice from Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (“Marvel”) that materials that you posted on LittleBIGWorkshop.com infringe Marvel’s copyrights. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Little Big Workshop Copyright Policy, we removed and disabled access to these materials.

Though this is not in-game, it's still related to the many issues we've been hearing about with regard to copyright infringement in LittleBigPlanet. I know it's a bit tough hearing this - I myself want to see a Deadpool Sackboy eventually - but, sigh, rules are rules, no matter how unfair they seem.

Source: http://www.qj.net/More-copyright-woes-Marvel-Comics-shutting-down-LittleBigPlanet-costumes/pg/49/aid/127690

Source 2: http://forums.littlebigworkshop.com/lbp/board/message?board.id=pod&message.id=25099#M25099

Just wanted to say that costume modration has begun (at least on Little Big Workshop).  This morning I received an e-mail from Sony saying that Marvel had complained about "something" I had submitted on LBW and I had violated copyright policy and that I shouldn't post the content again.  Now, of course, they never said what it was, but after looking through my last fews posts, inspirations, etc.  it appears as though it was my "SackThing" inspiration.  I also noticed that several other Marvel custom costumes had been removed from other users also.

I wonder if Marvel looks through Flikr to find pictures of kids dressed up as Marvel characters for Halloween. I mean c'mon!  A standard orange skin with a brick pattern and a blue swimsuit??

That's the worst thing you can find on the Internet?  At least it didn't get removed from my game...yet!  Creators be forewarned!!

Here is the content of the e-mail:

We received a notice from Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (“Marvel”) that materials that you posted on LittleBIGWorkshop.com infringe Marvel’s copyrights.  Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Little Big Workshop Copyright Policy, we removed and disabled access to these materials.  

Please do not post these materials again to LittleBIGWorkshop.com unless you follow the counter-notification procedures outlined in the Copyright Policy and receive permission to repost the materials.  The Copyright Policy can be found here.  Please do not reply to this e-mail address.  Please send all correspondence regarding this notice to infringement@playstation.sony.com or to the address listed in the Copyright Policy and use the reference number contained in the subject line of this e-mail.

We appreciate your participation in the LittleBIGWorkshop community and hope that you continue to participate by sharing your inspirations and creations.  Remember that you must abide by the LittleBIGWorkshop Terms of Service.  Please review the Terms of Service to make sure that your continued participation abides by those terms, especially those terms addressing User Generated Content.  If you upload materials that violate the Terms of Service, we may suspend or disable your access to LittleBIGWorkshop.com.

Please be respectful of the rights of content owners and continue to have fun using LittleBIGWorkshop.com.

HELL NO! i want my spidey sackboy with me

Perhaps people should be original.

I hope this isn't the first of many complains. LBP developers should just pay royalties if this continues and I'm about 90% sure it will.

Yeah...no duh? With copyright infringement being a massive concern for media companies across the spectrum, it's hardly a surprise.

Assholes im glad ive never bought a marvel game

^ jacezo

The thought train on hearing this news should run

Step 1 - Assholes, it's not as if this is hurting them, they should let it slide
Step 2 - Oh wait, I forgot how stupid copyright law is. I remember now that if a company fails to uphold their copyright, even in such a situation such as this, then this will be used against them if they later try to sue people for making knock off merchandise, or even movies featuring their IP and they stand to lose a lot of money from having to compete with their own IP, and people associating ther name with the low quality products that will likely come out
Step 3 - Apologise to Marvel Comics

I'm waiting for you to progress to steps 2 and 3

ha nice i got to step 2 but didnt but they are assholes for bringing it up.

Wouldn't that be a concept...