Why The Red Crosses Were Removed (a legal answer)

[Mizerie]

I left a shorter version of this on the post for the latest update to the game, but it comes to mind that the reason Valentine actually got her crosses removed isn't very well-known. So if you can stomach reading a few paragraphs and some legal jargon, I'll explain why they replaced them.

It's illegal to use red crosses in media. No, I am not capping, taking the piss, or anything else. I am 100% deadass.

Here's why.

As per 18 U.S. Code § 706, established in freakin' 1948:

Whoever wears or displays the sign of the Red Cross or any insignia colored in imitation thereof for the fraudulent purpose of inducing the belief that he is a member of or an agent for the American National Red Cross; or

Whoever, whether a corporation, association or person, other than the American National Red Cross and its duly authorized employees and agents and the sanitary and hospital authorities of the armed forces of the United States, uses the emblem of the Greek red cross on a white ground, or any sign or insignia made or colored in imitation thereof or the words “Red Cross” or “Geneva Cross” or any combination of these words—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

The 'red cross' symbol was established as the universal symbol of medical personnel in the very first Geneva Convention in 1863. Thus, using the symbol in a video game (or almost anywhere else) is breaking an international treaty. The problem is that this law is so obscure that it's almost completely unknown to the general public, and with tens of thousands of violations (or more) on the regular, the Red Cross can't go after every violation immediately. As a result. this legal nonsense ends up happening a hell of a lot later in a situation than you'd think, and keeping the shurikens in a color that is not red (or close to it, or held by palettes) is probably to keep away from potential accusations of using things that look like red crosses.

Hope that helps clear things up.

TL;DR: Valentine broke the Geneva Convention by using red crosses (palettes count). That's an international crime, so they changed her model.

[theclaw135]

Originally posted by Psychic Kitty:

weird and here i thought Section one of copyright and fair use acts specifically states "No symbol or items can have a copyright or claim to copyright to anything that already exists" thus the symbol was used before even 1865 there fore its already in use and cannot have a copyright or designation of this. Copyrights are agreed upon and established by the United Nations and all member as of before 1865. So meh.....you can go ahead and lawyer it all you want...but they got rid of their own red cross usage by that particular fact. so two can play at looking up obscure rules I love doing so. As for my proof you can go to most museums and see some nice pictures created by artists before 1865 using the red cross symbol i do not feel like googling pictures to prove some weird point. I just want the people of this game to slap the idiot trying to sue them and impose restriction to go and slap that person back for doing what is called an illegal lawsuit and trying to unfairly stifle creativity. Which is shown to be against the law in almost all countries. The law sited for that red cross usage was during times of war by the way. and if people are going to start following that law they better start banning artificial sweetners then too, and processed meats....becasue if ytou are going to only try to push one law you better follow all of them.

The strange form of legal protection of the red cross is not a unique instance. Read up on the Smokey Bear Act.

Believe it or not, the US government codified a whole law specifically to declare Smokey Bear cannot be utilized without authorization.