Richard Garriott says he is regaining the Ultima copyright from EA
Ultima creator Richard Garriott has confirmed he will soon take back the copyright to his original Ultima work from Electronic Arts, according to VGC. The trademark is not part of that.
Richard Garriott, the creator of Ultima, has confirmed he will soon regain the copyright to the series from Electronic Arts, VGC reports. EA has owned Ultima since it bought Garriott's Origin Systems in 1992.
How it works
US copyright law lets creators reclaim a work after 35 years, and earlier coverage from Time Extension and others, from June, pointed to 2027 as when that becomes possible for Garriott. Garriott has said he would regain the copyright to his original work, which is not the same as the trademark: EA keeps that, though Garriott has said the Ultima name could still appear in a new release.
What it means
Nothing has been announced about a new game, a studio or a release date.
Why it matters
Ultima has been dormant for years under EA, and this is the clearest sign yet that its creator could make a new one without EA's sign-off.