It turns out using a red cross symbol in your game is in breach of copyright law and the Geneva Convention, at least according to the British Red Cross charity. After discovering that indie developer Introversion used a symbol of a red cross to denote health within its game, Prison Architect, it was contacted by the organisation claiming that it was in breach of laws and must stop using the symbol entirely.
This surprised and annoyed Introversion, as the red cross is a symbol of health packs in games, since forever. However apparently that's not the case, or at least, the Red Cross claims it shouldn't be.
"The reason for this strict control is that the red cross emblem is an internationally agreed symbol of protection during armed conflicts," the email from Red Cross reads (via PCG). "It is used to safeguard the wounded and sick and those who seek to help them in a totally neutral and impartial way, and can save lives."
That's a fair point, though one it chooses to enforce sporadically it seems. Many games have included the Red Cross symbol in a variety of health-denoting ways for years. Halo: Combat Evolved is an easy example, as is Wolfenstein 3D, but there are many others.
It should be said though that Halo 2 used a red H instead.
Some have used this opportunity to criticise the Red Cross, which has come under fire in the past for how it spends its money. While it is a worthy charity, it is also not the most efficient and some would say chasing after indie developers with potential legal action is one way to waste a lot of time and money. Money that is provided by donations.
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