New York Times is sending copyright takedown notices to Wordle clones

The New York Times is sending copyright takedown notices to developers who have created games similar to its popular Wordle puzzle, with the newspaper saying it is doing so to "defend its intellectual property rights."

The New York Times' letters, also called Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices, were earlier reported by the tech journalism site 404. According to its reporting, the notices maintain The New York Times' ownership of the game's mechanics and concepts, such as its 5X6 grid and display of green tiles for correct letter guesses.

The newspaper's copyright campaign comes two years after it bought Wordle from its creator, Josh Wardle, who created the word puzzle as a gift to his wife. Since then, Wordle, played by millions daily, has been included in the New York Times' game package, which it includes as part of its subscription or can be bought separately for $50 a year.