EA’s Mirror’s Edge Coming to iPhone, Legal Storm Awaits

Mirror's Edge for iPhone. Image credit: Touch Arcade.

Mirror's Edge for iPhone. Image credit: Touch Arcade.

Touch Arcade reports that EA’s action adventure game Mirror’s Edge is coming to iPhone in January. Although originally boasting a first-person perspective viewpoint, with your character sliding under barriers, jumping across ledges, and doing all manner of death-defying leaps and bounds, it’s likely the iPhone version will be closer in character to Mirror’s Edge 2D.

Also interesting is this game will prompt a legal showdown on release. Tim Langdell of Edge Games has forced two indie iPhone games off the App Store for using Edge within their names. In both cases, Apple has complied with these challenges, which has been strictly in compliance with the DMCA, according to commentators. Accusations of mark trolling have led to EA challenging the validity of these marks (source: Kotaku), and any resolution is likely a year away.

When Mirror’s Edge appears on the App Store, Langdell will have no option but to challenge it, under the precedent he’s already set. And Apple will have no option but to pull the game, based on what it’s already done regarding Killer Edge Racing and Edge (now, temporarily, Edgy in the US and UK). It’s one thing when Apple stamps on an indie’s head, but it’s going to be interesting to see what happens when an EA game gets yanked unceremoniously from the store, due to spurious rights-infringement claims. Popcorn at the ready!

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About the author

Craig Grannell

Craig Grannell is Cult of Mac's designer and an occasional contributor. He also runs iPhoneTiny.com, a Twitter-driven reviews site for iPhone apps and games. Follow Craig on Twitter @CraigGrannell and visit his website, Snub Communications.

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Posted in iPhone Apps, News, Opinions |

  • Shane

    Sounds like Canabalt, not sure which came first.
    http://www.canabalt.com/

  • Andrew

    Perhaps I just don’t know the details concerning this case, but it just seems slightly ridiculous that you’re not allowed to have an app because someone else “owns” a word that you use in the title, and a fairly common word at that.

  • agentaika

    Mirror’s Edge came first. Canabalt was inspired by Mirror’s Edge.

  • porkchop1234

    Langdell is a no talent ambulance chasing asshole trying to make some quick bucks. Personally I hope his crappy software company collapses around him and he winds up in the streets giving BJ’s for quarters.