{"rewrite":{"id":"r_065d66d2aaeb52f20086de94","clusterId":"c_5a137f868a8e9bc9487e18f6","slug":"richard-garriott-moves-to-reclaim-ultima-copyright-from-ea","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"Richard Garriott Moves To Reclaim Ultima Copyright From EA","summary":"Richard Garriott has begun the process to reclaim the Ultima copyright he transferred to Electronic Arts when EA acquired Origin Systems in 1992. Under Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act, a grant can be terminated 35 to 40 years after transfer, and Garriott said he can reclaim the rights in 2027. EA told him it will follow the law and return them.","whyItMatters":"Because Garriott's use of the statutory termination right puts a 1992 publishing acquisition on the clock, and EA's stated willingness to comply means one of the foundational RPG series could return to its author without a purchase.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eGarriott sold Origin Systems, and with it Ultima, to EA in 1992 for $30 million. The franchise stayed with EA after Origin was folded into its development division; Garriott left in 2000 after the company froze projects in development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSection 203 lets an author end a transfer during a five-year window that starts 35 years after the grant. Garriott said no money changes hands and that notice must be filed one year before the effective date. He said he is talking with EA about possible joint Ultima projects, and that reclaiming control means he can re-release the early games and make sequels.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Richard Garriott has started the process to take back the Ultima copyright he signed to EA when Origin Systems was sold in 1992. Under Section 203, termination can take effect 35 years after the grant; he says the rights return to him in 2027.","twitterPost":"Richard Garriott is moving to reclaim the Ultima copyright from EA under Section 203, which allows a transfer to be terminated 35 years after the grant. He says the rights return to him in 2027; EA told him it will follow the law.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Richard Garriott has begun the legal process to reclaim the Ultima copyright from Electronic Arts, 35 years after EA acquired Origin Systems and the series. Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act lets an author terminate such a transfer, and Garriott says the rights come back in 2027 with no payment changing hands. He says he is in discussions with EA about working on Ultima together, and that control would let him re-release the early games and make sequels.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GIGAZINE\",\"url\":\"https://gigazine.net/news/20261013-ultima-creator-regaining-copyright-rpg/\",\"title\":\"Creator of Classic RPG 'Ultima' Is Pursuing Process to Reclaim Copyright He Sold 35 Years Ago\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4676,"outputTokens":615,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1791870739,"createdAt":"2026-10-13T05:48:52.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-13T05:51:12.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-13T05:51:12.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_5a137f868a8e9bc9487e18f6","canonicalTitle":"名作RPG「ウルティマ」の作者が35年前に売却した著作権を取り戻す手続きを進めている","representativeArticleId":"a_47ee24389e5698b5b285510c","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Ultima\"],\"studios\":[\"Electronic Arts\"],\"people\":[\"Richard Garriott\"],\"type\":\"business\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-10-13T05:05:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-10-13T05:05:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-13T05:51:07.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GIGAZINE","url":"https://gigazine.net/news/20261013-ultima-creator-regaining-copyright-rpg/","title":"名作RPG「ウルティマ」の作者が35年前に売却した著作権を取り戻す手続きを進めている"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Ultima"],"studios":["Electronic Arts"],"people":["Richard Garriott"],"type":"business","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}