Cryptic: We didn't want to delete your Batman clone, we had to

Skip you obviously have no idea what the Fair Use Law is actually for. Fair use does not cover Commercial Products that are used to generate revenue for a company. Even though a user is creating it the very definition of the EULA states that in the end all the content belongs to Cryptic.

If someone comes in and makes a Batman character and names himself Batman and gives his character bio the batman bio its not covered by the fair use law or even the term especially when money is being generated. Cryptic does not own the IP at all or even a liscence to use the various IPs and by definition they would be claiming 'ownership" of batman leaving them open to the legal system. A legal system which was used against them in the past.

You can create a Batman tribute without actually Copying Batman and Cryptic allows it. Just dont' name yourself batman and don't use batman's bio and definitely don't make yourself look way to much like batman.

Fan Art and Fan Fiction are not commercial in any form its a type of 'tribute' to the beloved character ... they aren't really covered by the fair use policy either but they are not commercial products in the least and most companies aren't going to go after Joe Blow the artist for sketching spiderman onto his notepad then selling it to Jack.

But, that's where you're wrong on that one with Star Trek Online. CBS and whoever else had/has the ownership rights to Star Trek is assisting in the STO game. And, Cryptic has full licensing rights to all things Star Trek (that's how they're able to make an official game like they are).

So, it wouldn't be an IP Copyright violation if someone made a character in their game based on the old characters as they've got the rights held to have them in their game. However, if someone named their character as such, I can see them using a GM to make a name change as those characters are long dead and/or still in-game and retired as it's 30 years after the last movie (regular movie, not JJ Abrams movie).

That's reasonable. Of course, its also assuming someone will read it. While I'm sure there are good number of offenders who are adults doing this, I'm sure a lot of kids will be like "words, words, words, lemme start already!"

...

Actually, I'll be there are a lot of adults like that too ;)

They warn you not to do it when you get the game. It is not their fault if you ignore it and they have to project the company from ruin.

How does it invalidate it?

It depends if you played the game just to make a Batman. If so, then what's the point when your toon gets turned into Ken or Barbie without a costume? The whole game is ruined.

...With that logic why pay for an MMO at all when you could just write Batman fanfiction?

Kinda invalidates, not completely invalidates. Getoutofjailfreecard loophole there.

You are ill-informed. Many countries have copyright laws that are as strict, if not stricter, than American ones.

How sad for you.

I was not being entirely serious.