'Warhammer' Fan Series TTS Announces Indefinite Hiatus In Response To Games Workshop's New Strict Copyright Policies

July 30th, 2021 - 3:29 PM EDT by Adam Downer

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TTS screenshot

Bravura Alfabusa, the content creator behind long-running Warhammer 40k parody series If The Emperor Had A Text To Speech Device, better known as TTS, announced yesterday that he is putting the series on hiatus due to the updated, strict IP guidelines of Games Workshop, the company that owns Warhammer 40k, that explicitly bans fan animations.


Last week, Games Workshop announced stricter sets of its IP copyright policies, attempting to make clear fans can make fan art or fan sites, these "must not include text, artwork or imagery copied from any official Games Workshop material." In the "Infringements" section, they state, "individuals must not create fan films or animations based on our settings and characters. These are only to be created under licence from Games Workshop."

This obviously put TTS in a bind. In the video, Bravura Alfabusa stated that while it's possible the series could be safe under "fair use" law, if Games Workshop went after it, he would have that the funds to mount a legal battle against Games Workshop and potentially YouTube.

The new guidelines also coincide with Games Workshop's announcement that they're making a Warhammer+ subscription service which will include two Warhammer animated series. Games Workshop has already poached some fan animators.

The announcement of TTS' hiatus made fans angry at Games Workshop, with some announcing their intent to never purchase anything they produce.


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WarLordM
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WarLordM

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This actually isn't legal. "If The Emperor Had A Text To Speech Device" is a parody, so any attempt to stop its production would be ungrounded in the law. In this case, the law is not to blame, the lack of options for content creators to defend themselves from ILLEGAL threats is the problem.

Imo Games Workshop should lose their right to declare ideas as intellectual property. If I hit a pedestrian driving I lose my license. Should be the same thing here.

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1. We definitely need IP reform. Imagine if traditional monsters like vampires, werewolves, and zombies were owned by a media conglomerate. Unfortunately modern IP laws have essentially halted the expansion of the public domain. This makes it hard for an aspiring independent artist to get their footing without stepping into a legal landmine.

2. As long as IP laws are the way they are, stop giving random corporations free content. Even if it's less fun, use the public domain characters and settings that do exist, and even if it's hard, make OC.

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