According to this interview (another story I found on slashdot), that little red cross on virtual med-kits you pick up in your average first-person shooter game is an illegal misuse of a protected trademark.
To quote the Canadian Red Cross spokesman David Pratt: "The fact that the Red Cross is also used in [videogames] which contain strong language and violence is also of concern to us in that they directly conflict with the basic humanitarian principles espoused by the Red Cross movement."
Right. So, at what point does a trademark become an international symbol? I can't think of a more ready symbol for medical aid than the good old even-barred cross. It's become an association between symbol and meaning that has imprinted our global society. It's beyond the nonprof's reach now.
It's certainly not libel or slander for Red Cross to be associated with healin' up some critical hit points while your avatar is out shooting Nazzis or aliens. If the Red Cross was stamped on the AK-47 you're blasting away with, sure. That could be interpretted as the Red Cross organization standing behind violence. But... Med kits?
And let me get this straight. Since when does placement of an object in an art piece equate to that trademark supporting said art? If I want to accurately portray my surroundings, why can't I have a Red Cross med kit in my virtual surroundings?
Art reflects life and the daily objects around us. Video games are an interactive art form. Censoring that art form would be a crime against freedom of expression.
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