Ultima Worlds Online: Origin Site Threatened

For about a week, a small Web site was posting character illustrations, maps, logos, and background information about characters, game data, and cities in Origin and EA's upcoming massively multiplayer online sequel Ultima Worlds Online: Origin, and it seems that very few took notice. Well, all that changed Tuesday morning when the webmaster of that site was served legal papers demanding that all UWO:O information be removed from the site.

The webmaster of the site, remaining under the alias Dr. Twister, says that a legal document delivered to him claimed that he had "illegally published certain confidential and proprietary information concerning our client's development of Ultima Worlds Online: Origin." He had obtained loads of Ultima Worlds Online: Origin information from an anonymous source

GameSpot News called Origin representative David Swofford to confirm the suit. "We believe that confidential and proprietary information has been received without the authorization of Origin," said Swofford. He went on to say that the company would take any legal action necessary to protect its properties.

The information posted on the Dr. Twister site has prompted Origin to make certain demands. The company will determine what legal avenues to pursue if these demands are not met. The demands, as stated by Dr. Twister, include the halting of publication of the confidential UWO:O material, the naming of the source(s) from which the site obtained the information, and a written apology stating that the site would no longer post the confidential material.

So far, Dr. Twister has removed all the questionable UWO:O material from his site, and he is waiting to find out what Origin will do next. Dr. Twister says, "Officially, I would like to state that I have done nothing wrong. I feel that I have exercised my rights as a news reporter to present factual truths to the public. At no time did I obtain information illegally, nor was the information that I published marked as being confidential... I did nothing more than display information that I received. I didn't alter it, I didn't claim that it was mine, I didn't sell it, I didn't steal it."

For now, it appears that Origin will make the next move.

Since Origin's Sept. 24 announcement that UWO:O was already in development with creatures conceptualized by Spawn creator, Todd McFarlane, UO fans have been clamoring for more information. Origin's Swofford says gamers can expect more information regarding the game within the next three to four months, along with a solid showing of Ultima Worlds Online: Origin at E3 in May.