<s>
2012	O
)	O
,	O
was	O
a	O
2012	O
American	O
legal	O
case	O
related	O
to	O
copyright	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
confirming	O
that	O
a	O
game	O
's	O
look	B-Application
and	I-Application
feel	I-Application
can	O
be	O
protected	O
under	O
copyright	O
law	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tetris	B-Device
Holding	O
is	O
a	O
company	O
that	O
holds	O
the	O
copyright	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Tetris	B-Device
game	O
from	O
1985	O
and	O
licenses	O
those	O
rights	O
to	O
game	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xio	O
Interactive	O
is	O
a	O
game	O
developer	O
that	O
released	O
Mino	O
in	O
2009	O
,	O
a	O
mobile	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mino	O
was	O
downloaded	O
millions	O
of	O
times	O
,	O
and	O
Tetris	B-Device
Holding	O
filed	O
a	O
DMCA	O
notice	O
and	O
eventually	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
Xio	O
for	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
earliest	O
video	O
game	O
case	O
law	O
had	O
protected	O
the	O
designs	O
in	O
Galaxian	B-Application
and	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
district	O
court	O
ruled	O
for	O
Tetris	B-Device
Holding	O
,	O
with	O
Judge	O
Wolfson	O
applying	O
the	O
Abstraction-Filtration-Comparison	O
test	O
to	O
determine	O
if	O
any	O
infringement	O
occurred	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
standard	O
gameplay	O
ideas	O
are	O
not	O
copyrightable	O
,	O
Mino	O
was	O
still	O
substantially	O
similar	O
to	O
Tetris	B-Device
in	O
terms	O
of	O
its	O
art	O
style	O
,	O
and	O
those	O
elements	O
are	O
in	O
fact	O
protected	O
by	O
copyright	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
case	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
applied	O
in	O
other	O
copyright	O
disputes	O
to	O
offer	O
broader	O
protection	O
to	O
the	O
look	B-Application
and	I-Application
feel	I-Application
of	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1985	O
,	O
Alexey	O
Pajitnov	O
created	O
the	O
puzzle	O
game	O
Tetris	B-Device
for	O
the	O
Dorodnitsyn	O
Computing	O
Centre	O
at	O
the	O
Soviet	O
Academy	O
of	O
Sciences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
a	O
few	O
years	O
Tetris	B-Device
became	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
successful	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Henk	O
Rogers	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
key	O
people	O
who	O
brought	O
Tetris	B-Device
to	O
the	O
world	O
by	O
going	O
to	O
Moscow	O
to	O
negotiate	O
for	O
the	O
rights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
early	O
2000s	O
,	O
Rogers	O
and	O
Pajitnov	O
created	O
The	O
Tetris	B-Device
Company	O
to	O
control	O
the	O
Tetris	B-Device
intellectual	O
property	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
license	O
their	O
rights	O
to	O
game	O
developers	O
who	O
comply	O
with	O
certain	O
standards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
Desiree	O
Golden	O
founded	O
a	O
game	O
studio	O
called	O
Xio	O
Interactive	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
a	O
mobile	O
game	O
called	O
Mino	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xio	O
had	O
tried	O
to	O
license	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
Tetris	B-Device
from	O
The	O
Tetris	B-Device
Company	O
,	O
who	O
refused	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
that	O
point	O
Xio	O
researched	O
intellectual	O
property	O
law	O
to	O
see	O
how	O
to	O
design	O
a	O
game	O
similar	O
to	O
Tetris	B-Device
that	O
would	O
not	O
include	O
any	O
legally-protected	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mino	O
also	O
added	O
new	O
power-ups	O
and	O
game	O
modes	O
to	O
the	O
basic	O
Tetris	B-Device
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
marketing	O
materials	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
Tetromino	O
game	O
"	O
with	O
"	O
fast-paced	O
,	O
line-clearing	O
features	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
ended	O
with	O
a	O
disclaimer	O
:	O
"	O
Mino	O
and	O
Xio	O
Interactive	O
are	O
not	O
affiliated	O
with	O
Tetris	B-Device
or	O
the	O
Tetris	B-Device
Company	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
there	O
have	O
been	O
many	O
Tetris	B-Device
clones	I-Device
,	O
Mino	O
was	O
eventually	O
downloaded	O
more	O
than	O
six	O
million	O
times	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2009	O
,	O
Tetris	B-Device
Holdings	O
sent	O
DMCA	O
notices	O
to	O
Xio	O
via	O
Apple	O
requesting	O
that	O
Apple	O
take	O
Mino	O
down	O
from	O
the	O
App	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
Apple	O
could	O
not	O
permanently	O
remove	O
the	O
software	O
without	O
a	O
legal	O
order	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
,	O
The	O
Tetris	B-Device
Company	O
filed	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
Xio	O
Interactive	O
in	O
December	O
2009	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
District	O
Court	O
for	O
the	O
District	O
of	O
New	O
Jersey	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
earliest	O
video	O
game	O
case	O
law	O
was	O
an	O
extension	O
of	O
other	O
copyright	O
cases	O
in	O
media	O
and	O
technology	O
,	O
offering	O
copyright	O
protection	O
to	O
original	O
characters	O
and	O
specific	O
sequences	B-Application
of	I-Application
code	I-Application
,	O
but	O
not	O
to	O
gameplay	O
systems	O
that	O
are	O
essential	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
principles	O
had	O
been	O
interpreted	O
to	O
protect	O
the	O
shapes	O
of	O
insect-like	O
aliens	O
in	O
Galaxian	B-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
protecting	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
from	O
a	O
copy	O
called	O
K.C.	O
</s>
<s>
Munchkin	B-Application
!	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
has	O
allowed	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
games	O
that	O
share	O
many	O
similarities	O
,	O
including	O
World	B-Application
Karate	I-Application
Championship	I-Application
and	O
Karate	B-Device
Champ	I-Device
in	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
(	O
decided	O
in	O
Data	O
East	O
v	O
.	O
Epyx	O
)	O
,	O
or	O
Fighter	B-Application
's	I-Application
History	I-Application
and	O
Street	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
II	I-Application
in	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
(	O
decided	O
in	O
Capcom	B-Application
v	I-Application
.	I-Application
Data	I-Application
East	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
defending	O
the	O
copyright	O
claim	O
,	O
Xio	O
founder	O
Desiree	O
Golden	O
admitted	O
to	O
having	O
copied	O
Mino	O
directly	O
from	O
the	O
official	O
Tetris	B-Device
app	O
that	O
was	O
developed	O
under	O
license	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Golden	O
also	O
admitted	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
sought	O
a	O
license	O
to	O
Tetris	B-Device
from	O
Tetris	B-Device
Holdings	O
,	O
who	O
turned	O
them	O
down	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequently	O
,	O
Golden	O
continued	O
to	O
develop	O
Mino	O
based	O
on	O
their	O
understanding	O
of	O
video	O
game	O
case	O
law	O
,	O
and	O
believed	O
that	O
they	O
could	O
avoid	O
infringing	O
on	O
Tetris	B-Device
's	O
expression	O
by	O
creating	O
new	O
audio	O
and	O
video	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Judge	O
Wolfson	O
ruled	O
early	O
that	O
,	O
as	O
previously	O
established	O
,	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
was	O
not	O
copyrightable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
video	O
game	O
cases	O
,	O
Atari	O
v	O
.	O
Philips	O
(	O
related	O
to	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
and	O
an	O
alleged	O
clone	O
K.C.	O
</s>
<s>
Munchkin	B-Application
!	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
and	O
Midway	O
Manufacturing	O
Co	O
.	O
v	O
.	O
Bandai-America	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
(	O
related	O
to	O
handheld	O
clones	O
of	O
Midway	O
's	O
Galaxian	B-Application
)	O
were	O
found	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
ruled	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
manner	O
as	O
the	O
AFC	O
test	O
,	O
and	O
Wolfson	O
decided	O
to	O
apply	O
them	O
to	O
Mino	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wolfson	O
explained	O
that	O
the	O
court	O
should	O
compare	O
the	O
games	O
"	O
as	O
they	O
would	O
appear	O
to	O
a	O
layman	O
 [ by ] 	O
concentrating	O
upon	O
the	O
gross	O
features	O
rather	O
than	O
an	O
examination	O
of	O
minutiae	O
"	O
,	O
essentially	O
comparing	O
the	O
games	O
 '	O
respective	O
look	B-Application
and	I-Application
feel	I-Application
;	O
Wolfson	O
further	O
wrote	O
"[i]f	O
one	O
has	O
to	O
squint	O
to	O
find	O
distinctions	O
only	O
at	O
a	O
granular	O
level	O
,	O
then	O
the	O
works	O
are	O
likely	O
to	O
be	O
substantially	O
similar	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wolfson	O
discussed	O
which	O
aspects	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
were	O
copyrightable	O
as	O
expressive	O
elements	O
,	O
and	O
which	O
aspects	O
are	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
general	O
idea	O
that	O
cannot	O
be	O
protected	O
by	O
copyright	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Wolfson	O
determined	O
that	O
several	O
aspects	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
qualify	O
as	O
unique	O
expression	O
that	O
is	O
protected	O
by	O
copyright	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
expressive	O
elements	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
under	O
copyright	O
protection	O
,	O
copying	O
one	O
of	O
these	O
elements	O
would	O
not	O
necessarily	O
prove	O
there	O
has	O
been	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
,	O
in	O
isolation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
her	O
analysis	O
,	O
Wolfson	O
quickly	O
concluded	O
that	O
Mino	O
failed	O
the	O
AFC	O
test	O
as	O
it	O
looked	O
so	O
similar	O
to	O
Tetris	B-Device
side-by-side	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
,	O
Wolfson	O
rejected	O
the	O
merger	O
doctrine	O
claim	O
that	O
Golden	O
had	O
proposed	O
,	O
since	O
the	O
details	O
of	O
the	O
art	O
style	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
Tetris	B-Device
blocks	O
had	O
"	O
are	O
not	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
ideas	O
,	O
rules	O
,	O
or	O
functions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
nor	O
are	O
they	O
essential	O
or	O
inseparable	O
from	O
the	O
ideas	O
,	O
rules	O
,	O
or	O
functions	O
of	O
the	O
game.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Wolfson	O
further	O
dismissed	O
Golden	O
's	O
scènes	O
à	O
faire	O
arguments	O
,	O
ruling	O
that	O
Tetris	B-Device
was	O
a	O
unique	O
game	O
and	O
thus	O
had	O
no	O
established	O
stock	O
or	O
common	O
imagery	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
ineligible	O
for	O
protection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
weighing	O
these	O
arguments	O
,	O
Wolfson	O
noted	O
that	O
Mino	O
copied	O
Tetris	B-Device
much	O
more	O
closely	O
than	O
a	O
game	O
like	O
Dr.	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
,	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
utilized	O
the	O
rules	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
to	O
express	O
a	O
similar	O
idea	O
in	O
a	O
unique	O
and	O
non-infringing	O
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wolfson	O
also	O
examined	O
at	O
Mino	O
's	O
marketing	O
materials	O
to	O
determine	O
if	O
they	O
infringed	O
the	O
trade	O
dress	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Where	O
Mino	O
's	O
marketing	O
used	O
the	O
same	O
color	O
and	O
style	O
of	O
the	O
pieces	O
from	O
Tetris	B-Device
,	O
these	O
details	O
were	O
distinct	O
expression	O
and	O
not	O
merely	O
functional	O
ideas	O
in	O
the	O
public	O
domain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wolfson	O
determined	O
that	O
this	O
created	O
a	O
likelihood	O
that	O
consumers	O
would	O
confuse	O
Mino	O
with	O
Tetris	B-Device
,	O
and	O
held	O
that	O
Minos	O
trade	O
dress	O
was	O
infringing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wolfson	O
subsequently	O
granted	O
summary	O
judgment	O
in	O
Tetris	B-Device
Holding	O
's	O
favor	O
,	O
and	O
entered	O
an	O
injunction	O
that	O
permanently	O
prohibited	O
Xio	O
from	O
distributing	O
or	O
marketing	O
their	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
other	O
courts	O
have	O
cited	O
the	O
ruling	O
as	O
relevant	O
case	O
law	O
in	O
evaluating	O
other	O
video	O
game	O
cloning	O
cases	O
and	O
have	O
relied	O
upon	O
it	O
to	O
establish	O
a	O
new	O
approach	O
to	O
evaluating	O
copyrights	O
surrounding	O
the	O
look	B-Application
and	I-Application
feel	I-Application
of	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
Spry	B-Application
Fox	I-Application
,	I-Application
LLC	I-Application
v	I-Application
.	I-Application
Lolapps	I-Application
,	I-Application
Inc	I-Application
.	I-Application
was	O
heard	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
District	O
Court	O
for	O
the	O
Western	O
District	O
of	O
Washington	O
,	O
brought	O
by	O
Spry	O
Fox	O
against	O
developer	O
Lolapps	O
over	O
their	O
game	O
Yeti	O
Town	O
which	O
Spry	O
Fox	O
claimed	O
was	O
a	O
copyright-infringing	O
clone	O
of	O
Triple	B-Application
Town	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
initial	O
hearings	O
,	O
the	O
judge	O
followed	O
similar	O
logic	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
Xio	O
case	O
to	O
order	O
a	O
preliminary	O
injunction	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
Spry	O
Fox	O
,	O
as	O
Yeti	O
Town	O
had	O
the	O
same	O
look-and-feel	B-Application
as	O
Triple	B-Application
Town	I-Application
when	O
simply	O
viewed	O
side	O
by	O
side	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
these	O
cases	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
legal	O
scholars	O
have	O
found	O
that	O
courts	O
have	O
been	O
more	O
scrutinizing	O
of	O
look-and-feel	B-Application
in	O
cases	O
involving	O
video	O
game	O
clones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
coincides	O
with	O
the	O
legal	O
system	O
having	O
more	O
experience	O
and	O
understanding	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
judge	O
who	O
decided	O
the	O
case	O
was	O
18	O
when	O
Pong	B-Application
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Susan	O
Corbett	O
argues	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
Tetris	B-Device
decision	O
supports	O
the	O
view	O
that	O
United	O
States	O
courts	O
are	O
becoming	O
more	O
accepting	O
of	O
the	O
possibility	O
of	O
offering	O
broader	O
copyright	O
protection	O
for	O
videogames	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
