The New York Times is taking action against Wordle imitations, issuing a new DMCA notice that may eliminate a vast array of similar games. Although Wordle clones were already prevalent before they acquired the original game in 2022, they had become ubiquitous on various app platforms.
A mathematics expert claimed that many Wordle users cheat to solve the puzzle on their initial try.
Taking Action Against Wordle Knockoffs
Numerous games influenced by Wordle, the widely-known web-based word puzzle, face potential deletion following copyright takedown notices issued by The New York Times.
Recent developments indicate that The New York Times is actively working to reduce the proliferation of Wordle replicas by sending DMCA takedown notices to developers.
According to reports from 404 Media, the latest notice from the news outlet has the potential to not only remove the targeted game but also wipe out thousands of other related alternatives and variations.
The most recent DMCA notice from The Times targeted Chase Wackerfuss, the individual responsible for a Wordle clone named "Reactle." The notice demanded that GitHub remove the infringing repository along with the numerous forked repositories derived from it.
Wackerfuss chose to remove Reactle's GitHub page preemptively, expressing that he preferred to avoid a legal dispute with The New York Times and opted to delete his repository.
However, prior to its removal, Reactle had already been forked 1,900 times and had been utilized to create variations of Wordle in multiple languages, along with spinoffs featuring diverse modifications.
These adaptations ranged from transforming Wordle into crossword puzzles and multiplayer games to altering it into guessing games utilizing emojis and other symbols instead of letters and words.
In January, The Verge reported that two takedown requests targeted unofficial Korean and Bosnian-language editions of the game.
More requests followed this week, affecting Wirdle, a variant introduced by the I Hear Dee dialect group in 2022 to advocate for the Shaetlan language, and Reactle, an open-source clone of Wordle developed using React, TypeScript, and Tailwind.
Reactle was created before The Times acquired the game, as noted by its developer, Chase Wackerfuss.
Reactle's Response
In response to The Times' takedown notice sent to Reactle, the newspaper claims ownership of both the Wordle name and its gameplay mechanics.
The Times asserts copyright over distinctive elements of its immensely popular game, including the 5x6 grid, the use of green tiles to denote correct guesses, yellow tiles for correct letters but in the wrong position, and the keyboard positioned directly below the grid.
The DMCA notice alleges that the repository replicates this gameplay precisely, with the owner providing instructions for duplicating the game.
However, given Wordle's straightforward concept, a simpler but akin word-guessing game could be created during a basic programming course, it's unlikely that this takedown request will eradicate its clones and alternatives entirely.
Interestingly, Wordle has faced criticism for its striking resemblance to Lingo, a game show from the 1980s where contestants guessed five-letter words, with a grid that changed colors to indicate accuracy.
