Carmack Rewriting Doom 3 Engine Code to Avoid Legal Troubles

November 17, 2011

To avoid some potential legal problems related to shadow rendering code Creative Labs apparently holds a patent to, id Software has decided to hold off on releasing the code. Rather than risking legal action, id Software co-founder John Carmack has decided to rewrite part of the Doom 3 engine's code. Yesterday it was revealed that id Software had delayed releasing the code to the public because of Bethesda's concerns of potential liability related to the Creative Labs patent.

According to a tweet from Carmack, Bethesda's lawyer's raised issues about the patent by Creative Labs for a stencil shadowing technique called “Carmack's Reverse” which was created by Carmack and other coders. id Software used the technique under contract for Doom 3, but because they are providing the source code to the public, using the technique might have caused a legal headache with Creative Labs.

Bethesda and id Software have not revealed when it will be released. Chances are, Carmack would say it will be released "when it's done."

Source: IndustryGamers

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Re: Carmack Rewriting Doom 3 Engine Code to Avoid Legal Troubles

Submitted by MechaTama31 on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 16:50.

If Carmack wrote it, how did Creative Labs end up holding the patent?

Re: Carmack Rewriting Doom 3 Engine Code to Avoid Legal Troubles

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 17:34.

Creative Labs Patented it and Carmack independently invented it. It happens all the time in software and no one cares because patents are one of those issues that get politicians scared because the wrong move would lose them all kinds of campaign contributions.

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
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Re: Carmack Rewriting Doom 3 Engine Code to Avoid Legal Troubles

Submitted by axiomatic on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 16:09.

So is this Doom 3 for the PC or consoles? Personally, Carmack needs to make up some good will with us PC gamers for him forgetting who got him to his vaulted position in life. I think Doom 3 on PC (done right, and not as a shitty console port) would make up a lot of what he's lost in my eyes.

Re: Carmack Rewriting Doom 3 Engine Code to Avoid Legal Troubles

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 16:48.

Its the PC version. He wouldn't be able to open source the Console version because of the proprietary console code that goes into it.

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower

Re: Carmack Rewriting Doom 3 Engine Code to Avoid Legal Troubles

Submitted by jccalhoun on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 15:31.

Surprising that this wasn't thought about before this. I remember reading quite a bit about Creative Labs patent on this back when Doom 3 came out.

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