Is basing a character off of an existing character considered copyright infringement?

[Safe Not Sorry]

I live in Georgia and here is my specific dilemma:

In the no longer running animated series The Powerpuff Girls, there is a villain by the name of Mr. Mime. The plot of the particular episode that he appeared in involved a cheerful and colorful clown aptly called Rainbow the Clown somehow being temporarily turned into a black and white, evil mime version of himself. During this period, he went about sapping the entire town of color and making everything silent and gloomy. As an affectionate nod to this episode, I was considering the possibility of adding a character that is based off of Mr. Mime to a game I may be developing in the future. In a wide departure from the role the original character served, this character would present as a monster that must be defeated by the player in a timed battle in order to acquire it as a companion whose ability can be utilized at will. In present design, it doesn't at all look like a clown or a human of any sort, but it IS black and white and it does vaguely follow the mime theme. I was even considering calling it Mr. M. Its aforementioned ability involves temporarily sapping other enemies of their life force by means of turning them black and white and gloomy, thereby making them easier to defeat. The mini-game through which it is acquired would also involve this motif, requiring the player to stop it before it turns the entire area into black and white gloominess.

After that rather long-winded explanation, my actual question is whether or not the character that I described would be infringing on the copyrights held by the owners of The Powerpuff Girls.

 

[quincy]

I live in Georgia and here is my specific dilemma:

In the no longer running animated series The Powerpuff Girls, there is a villain by the name of Mr. Mime. The plot of the particular episode that he appeared in involved a cheerful and colorful clown aptly called Rainbow the Clown somehow being temporarily turned into a black and white, evil mime version of himself. During this period, he went about sapping the entire town of color and making everything silent and gloomy. As an affectionate nod to this episode, I was considering the possibility of adding a character that is based off of Mr. Mime to a game I may be developing in the future. In a wide departure from the role the original character served, this character would present as a monster that must be defeated by the player in a timed battle in order to acquire it as a companion whose ability can be utilized at will. In present design, it doesn't at all look like a clown or a human of any sort, but it IS black and white and it does vaguely follow the mime theme. I was even considering calling it Mr. M. Its aforementioned ability involves temporarily sapping other enemies of their life force by means of turning them black and white and gloomy, thereby making them easier to defeat. The mini-game through which it is acquired would also involve this motif, requiring the player to stop it before it turns the entire area into black and white gloominess.

After that rather long-winded explanation, my actual question is whether or not the character that I described would be infringing on the copyrights held by the owners of The Powerpuff Girls.

First, the Powerpuff Girls and all of the characters from the animated series are copyrighted and trademarked, with rights to the characters held, I believe, by The Cartoon Network. The Cartoon Network has a lot of money, and a team of attorneys who work to protect these rights, so you don't want to make them angry.

The idea of a character that changes a "colorful" enemy into a black-and-white version of himself is probably one that can be used without infringement - but any references or similarities to Mr. Mime (whether a veiled reference or not) should be avoided.

I really like the idea of your game and believe it is doable if you are careful. In other words, it is not impossible to build off the ideas of others and create from what went before something new and unique. But, because there is no easy "yes this would be infringement" and "no this would not be infringement" answer to your question, especially without a personal review of the game and game plan and characters, I suggest you run it all by an IP attorney in Georgia, to go over all areas that could attract a lawsuit. And then work your game around these areas.

Good luck.

 

[Proserpina]

I completely agree with quincy (surprise, right? )

Except. Clowns are evil.

That is all.

Love,

Stephen King Fan.