14 DAY TRIAL // Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has decided that the use and abuse of LittleBigPlanet cannot continue, and has decided to issue a document offering players who use the level editor a very clear set of rules that are designed to make sure that no more levels need to be deleted.
There are more than 84,000 levels created by users for the game in less than two weeks, and the company says that they have been completed 27 million times since they were published. Most of them have no problems and will not be taken down, but there's the question of levels that feature copyrighted material, or infringe on intellectual property rights.
The first rule one should follow is to keep in mind the fact that, once a level is published, it can be downloaded and played by anyone who has the game. This means that most complaints reaching Sony and Media Molecule are related to material unsuitable for various age groups. The company usually warns the creator of the offending level, and it can be deleted only after a period of time following that.
Sony also urges level creators to not “use images, brands or logos that you’re not entitled to use.” This is where it gets tricky. Players have been arguing that creating a Mario level while using photos of the character or images from its games is not infringing on copyright, because there's no money being made from the levels and they in no way negatively affect the image of the characters. On the other hand, Sony has been quite quick in deleting those levels, in order not to expose itself to potential legal action.
Sony also warns users that, if they report a level only to play a hoax on its creator and restrict access to it, they will be flagged as having inappropriate behavior and their accounts could be suspended.