Nobody can stop you from stealing The Great Gatsby
Following the entry of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby into the public domain in early 2021, game developers organized a game jam event on itch.io to mark the occasion and explore creative possibilities now available without licensing restrictions. The competition attracted multiple submissions demonstrating how creators could adapt the classic novel in interactive form.
The event prompted examination of how intellectual property law influences video game creation and which parties benefit from copyright protections. The discussion encompassed broader questions about the relationship between patent systems, copyright frameworks, and the accessibility of cultural works to developers and the public.
- The Great Gatsby entered public domain in January 2021, prompting developers to launch a game jam celebrating unrestricted creative use of the work
- The event sparked broader discussion about how copyright and patent systems shape video game development and who benefits from these legal frameworks