EA in Trademark Dispute over BF3's Helicopters

Did you ever think a video game needed to get permission from weapon / vehicle makers before adding it to it's arsenal? Well according to a recent lawsuit against EA, that's the way it should be. On December 21st, 2011 a lawsuit was filed by Textron (Apart of Bell) to EA for them to cease the depiction of three bell manufactured helicopters in Battlefield 3 (That being the AH-1Z Viper, UH-1Y Super Huey and the V-22 Osprey).

"The Bell-manufactured helicopters depicted in Battlefield 3 are just a few of countless creative visual, audio, plot and programming elements that make up EA's expressive work, a first-person military combat simulation,"

After receiving this notice, EA responded by requesting a rule that it has the First Amendment right to portray military helicopters in a video game without receiving direct permission from the manufacture. But still it appears that the two companies have yet to make an agreement on the issue. But of all lawsuit's in the gaming world, the topic of this comes as a surprise. It will be interesting to see what actually comes out of it. Better be sure to make good use of those copters now just incase they get removed!

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