The New York Times has embarked on a campaign to protect its intellectual property rights by sending Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices to developers who have created games similar to its popular Wordle puzzle. This move, aimed at defending the newspaper's ownership of the game's mechanics and concepts, has sparked intense debate over copyright infringement, creativity, and the boundaries of intellectual property rights in the digital age.
According to reports by tech journalism site 404, developers have received notices from The New York Times asserting ownership of elements such as the game's 5x6 grid and the display of green tiles for correct letter guesses. The newspaper's copyright campaign comes two years after it acquired Wordle from its creator, Josh Wardle, and incorporated it into its game package, available as part of a subscription or for purchase separately.
