so sorry for you rezzie

I would love to David, but i think that doing so would result in Endemol giving us a Ceast or Desist order on our own heads.

They are probably going to produce their own version and sell it, which is why all the free versions are receiving cease and desist orders. I suggest the only thing you can do is e-mail their customer service department and request the free version be allowed to remain at least until they release their own.

rezzie, we are sorry!

here you go

www.dealornodeal.co.uk

win up to £1,000,000 real money!

That would explain the C&D

So not only are they producing their own version, but they're not even doing it accurately - they're doing one with the US tree and the UK graphics.

Totally ludicrous. If they want to make the fans unhappy they're doing it.

Shutting down fan-made games that aren't trying to make profit is just complete and utter stupidity. It's fair enough if they want you to remove any direct affiliation with the 'Deal or No Deal' name, but CEASE and DISMISS letters!?

Rezzie, if you're not willing to be resposible for mucking with Endemol and want to call it quits; I'd be more than happy to take a look at your source-code and impliment your work into another engine I have almost finished (in terrible, terrible VB6 [not by choice!] however, though I'd be able to do the VB.NET > VB6), giving you credit for everything I use. If not, that's understandable - I'm just trying to make things seem less of a waste.

I have a friend with some very good foreign hosting, Russian - in fact, who wouldn't comply with any threats from Endemol, or anyone, for that matter. I could host the game there and have social networking have its fun in spreading the link around.

It feels very wierd to treat distributing self-produced software as though it's a class-A drug, come to think of it.

I do not see what harm my game is doing to them, it is one of the only UK ones and I believe it is a fairly good representation of the show.

If Endemol wanted I do not mind giving them the source free of charge so they can develop it as they wish - I just don't see the point in stopping user contributions to a brand, it can only have a negative effect.

I'm not sure whether I am allowed to distribute the source - I don't suppose that infringes any copyrights as it is all my own work - but then again I am unsure.

If anyone can give me any legal advice (I'm only 17 ) I would be happy to listen to what I can actually do / what is against the law. I do not want to annoy Endemol, nor break the law, but I do want to provide a free UK DoND game for fans (even if it has to be in source format).

Well, I've been in the same situation twice before, though for petty website infringements. I'm guessing you would need to remove/change:

- Any references to the same, or similar to 'Deal or No Deal'
- The box images
- Any graphical likihood to the 'Deal or No Deal' [This may include shapes/colour schemes of objects, such as the game board, the telephone, the boxes, etc)
- Any written reference to themes in 'Deal or No Deal' - Such as referring to the 'Banker', or using any catchphrases/other phrases coined by the show
- Any sound effects taken from the show
- The game structure. Changing the boxes to something else, changing the amount of boxes, changing the 'question', etc.

Basically make it NOT Deal or No Deal and not LIKE Deal or No Deal. They cannot possibly have legal grounds after that, as long as you make it look like you're not trying to replicate the game.

If that is the case I may as well discontinue the game - I designed it to be as realistic to the show as possible, down to as much detail as possible (background colour of money, border of box contents, offers etc.

If I would have to change the entire format, enough to satisfy the lawyers, then I may just bow out gracefully.

Fingers crossed Endemol come to their senses and realise how little harm this is doing to their international business...

If this is the case Rezzie, you could create a new game?
follow this link

They shouldn't do this this is UNFAIR!

If this is the case Rezzie, you could create a new game?
follow this link to find a new name

They shouldn't do this this is UNFAIR!

n someone please send me 1.7.1 at *email censored - please PM me*

I wonder how Rezzie is getting on

I have received a respone from my original reply, but all they did was thank me for removing it and reporting the sale of DoND games on eBay.

The only way to keep the software going would be to change the name, images and format - which would go against what I originally inteded to do (by making it as realistic to the show as possible). Sorry

I have also being in contact with the authors of a few of the others games who got slapped with a C&D, but it's all the same story - remove them all, no chance to change anything.

Nice to see the support from the forum, thank you. I'll keep you informed if I get any more news from Endemol - but don't hold your breath (it took 3 days to get a single sentence reply...).

we are all behind you

hope everything smoothes itself out

has anyone heard from rezzie today?

Wow, this is incredible. We shouldnt take this garbage from Endemol. Sure, its pretty sweet winning up to £1,000,000 on their online game, but i bet you have to pay a high fee to actually play the game. I doubt many would do that. And sooner or later, some hacker will stumble across the game, and find a way of winning / a sequence / whatever, and then Endemol will go bust

does anyone know if you have to pay for this new Endemol game yet

Well, i doubt you can get £1,000,000 for free. If the viewers competition cost £1 for prizes at only £10,000 i doubt we can play an online game for free with the top prize of £1,000,000.