In January 2021, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby, entered the public domain. To mark the occasion and explore the creative possibilities this opened, two developers organized a game jam on the platform Itch.io, inviting others to "steal" The Great Gatsby. The event aimed to celebrate the newfound ability to freely adapt and remix the novel's themes and narrative.
The proliferation of ideas and creative works is a topic often influenced by copyright and patent laws. This game jam serves as a case study, prompting a closer look at how these legal frameworks affect the development of video games. By engaging directly with a public domain work, the participating developers and organizers offer insights into the ongoing conversation about intellectual property and its role in fostering or potentially stifling innovation within the gaming medium.