Overview
- Garriott formally told Electronic Arts in April 2026 that he would invoke Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act and the company acknowledged the notice.
- Under Section 203 the copyright reversion is set to take effect in 2027, a statutory right that lets original authors reclaim transferred copyrights after 35 years without payment.
- Garriott says he is in active discussions with EA about possible cooperation, but no agreements or specific projects have been announced and any new releases remain unconfirmed.
- The reversion covers copyrights only and may be constrained by EA’s recent Ultima trademark filings, which could limit Garriott’s ability to use the series name for future products.
- Garriott sold Origin Systems and Ultima to EA in 1992 and the franchise’s last mainline entry was 1999’s Ultima IX, so the move could enable remasters, sequels or licensing deals that change how the series is made available to players.