h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I still do not believe there IS an actual copyright issue with this. Even if the artwork created for the U.S. book covers and video games is copyrighted, an emoticon with no eyes coloured green with a tongue out and hands would hardly infringe on those rights.

If the Beeb is so worried about copyrights why don't they sue "My Space dot Com"?

that's so totally true. MySpace is a ripoff of h2g2's "Personal Space" feature

"Personal Space"... Nah... just look to the list on the left (in Classic Goo or Brunel, above in Alabaster)...


"My Space"


It's said that for years.

That isn't unusual/original enough to be copyright and was never a major trademark of this site.

I didn't read the entire backlog, but didn't Douglas dislike the 'green guy' icon?

I don't think there's any mention of DNA's feelings about that image in the backlog. I sure don't know what they were.

I had never heard that. But it's understandable
Nerd42

Douglas's reported view on the matter can be found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/stevem.shtml

"Did Douglas comment on the use of the little green guy (which he hated) on the game's packaging?

He wasn't happy, of course, but I think by that time he was resigned to it being the iconic representation of Hitchhiker's in the public's mind."

(and that seems to be a consensus of reported opinion across the various pages I found).

Thanks SEF... great interview.

hmm, that's an interesting page, but it i'd like to know where the interviewer got the original idea that DNA didn't like it from (not that I doubt what you're saying ... OK well I do but not very much cause I think you're probably right)

I don't know where the interviewer got the idea, ie the alleged opinion of Douglas Adams. Before this thread (and perhaps another like it) started (rather a long time ago now!) I wasn't even aware of the "green guy", let alone it being any sort of official h2g2 logo and of nostalgic importance to the late-comers among the fans. My HHGTTG book was bought much closer to the time of original radio series and had no such imagery on it - and neither did the radios of the period!

Yes. The image in question was used for the North American publishings of the books and video and on the Infocom game box.


I would like to restate why I started this thread in the first place. The reason I thought we should have a smiley like this is because it seemed to fit in with the existing smiley style. When I first came on this site (oh, so many years ago) one of the first things I noticed was the smilies. Keep in mind that illustrated emoticons were not so ubiquitous on the internet as they are now. And when looking at and , et al., anyone familiar with the artwork in question is bound to make that association and wonder why there isn't a smiley like that familiar eyeless green orb.

It seemed an obvious addition to me at the time.

Of course after so many years of debate in this thread I am fairly sure it will never happen. Oh, well.

debate? nobody's against it. we're just trying to get noticed, hence the posting, busyness and bothering

The italics are against it... in a compleatly dismissive and unresponsive way.

The least they could do is come up with a viable argument.

What if someone actually makes the smiley and emails it to them?

This week's talking point is a request for new smileys!

A38860987

I hope none of them wind up looking stupid, like these:

Ahem... F10770191?thread=5716355