Richard Garriott reclaims Ultima rights from EA under Section 203 copyright clause
Summary
Richard Garriott will regain Ultima's copyright from EA in 2027.
He sold Ultima and Origin Systems to EA for $30 million in 1992.
Section 203 lets creators reclaim copyright transfers after 35 years, with no repayment.
EA filed a new Ultima trademark in June, since the law covers copyright only.
01
Reclaiming rights without a buyout
Garriott sold Ultima and Origin Systems to EA for $30 million in 1992.
He gave EA formal notice of reclaiming the copyright in April.
Section 203 requires no repayment, only a year's advance notice before reversion.
"There's no money that needs to transfer. All you have to do is tell them a year before you take it back."
02
Industry-wide exposure beyond Ultima
Section 203 applies to any US copyright transfer, not only Ultima's 1992 sale.
Any publisher's early-1990s IP acquisition faces the same 35-year reversion clock.
EA accepted Garriott's claim without contesting it, treating the law as enforceable.
The case sets a precedent for creators to reclaim 1990s-era franchises from current owners.
03
Copyright reverts, trademark stays with EA
EA filed a new Ultima trademark in June, separate from the copyright itself.
Section 203 covers copyright only, letting EA retain the Ultima brand name.
Garriott will control the original work's code and content once rights revert in 2027.
"Lord British's Ultima will regain all the copyrights of my original work. What it will become is the next challenge."
What this means
For Investors & VC: Add authorship-based termination windows to diligence and discount catalog valuations accordingly.
For Publishers & Developers: Negotiate co-development deals with original creators of legacy IP before their termination notices arrive.
For Service Vendors: Pitch remaster, porting and code-restoration services to creators regaining rights to classic games.
Events
Companies
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Locations
North America
SYNTHESIZED FROM:
- Richard Garriott is officially regaining control of the Ultima series | VGC
- Ultima Will Soon Return to Its Creator, Richard Garriott Confirms
- I never thought we'd get a new Ultima RPG, but now that series creator Richard Garriott is getting back the rights from EA, everything's on the table | GamesRad
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