The Church of England was upset that a major gun battle appears to be set in Manchester Cathedral, claiming that it was insensitive to locate the scene in a city suffering from a high level of gun crime.
I would not wish to comment upon issues of insensitivity and any moral duties a game developer and publisher should consider, but I was intrigued when the Church of England indicated that it considered legal action.
From a legal perspective, presuming that the developer of the game had not copied architectural plans and drawings of, or trademarks belonging to Manchester Cathedral or the Church of England, it is unlikely that the game's developer has infringed any intellectual property rights.
The Copyright Designs and Patent Act 1988 allows the graphic representation of buildings and structures situated in a public place, while the likelihood is that any copyright protection afforded to plans and drawings will have expired in any event (this only lasts for 70 years after the death of the author).
However, this is not the case with trademarks which, subject to renewal, could afford the owner long-term protection.
SEAN CROTTY is an associate solicitor specialising in intellectual property entertainment and commercial law at Weightmans Solicitors.