Main Menu

Rebellion Sues Stardock?

Started by Banners, 17 August, 2012, 10:06:23 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Banners

Joystiq reports that our magnificent benefactors are suing Stardock over their use of the word "rebellion" in the latest Sins of a Solar Empire expansion.

The word is so generic (especially in terms of sci-fi and conflict), and the 2000 AD publishers are so cool, that this can't possibly be true can it?

James Stacey

It might not be down to how 'cool' you are, it might be a necessity to protect their trademark. Often companies don't want to sue but are obliged to if they want to uphold a trademark

TordelBack

This does seem a bit silly, but as long as we get a half-page strip where the Kingsleys sit down with representatives of the Trader Emergency Coalition to explain the distinction to all SoaSE players I'll be happy.

Molch-R

Quote from: James Stacey on 17 August, 2012, 10:37:53 AM
It might not be down to how 'cool' you are, it might be a necessity to protect their trademark. Often companies don't want to sue but are obliged to if they want to uphold a trademark

Banners

I can save you both trouble and lawyer's fees by stating they didn't call it "Rebellion" in order to capitalise upon Rebellion's IP one iota. It's a suitably generic word, used in this case to describe the defining characteristic of the expansion's new gameplay.

Progressive indie developers like Rebellion and Stardock should be sticking together. Rebellion's action - if true - risks creating a backlash or 'Streisand Effect'. Indeed, the comments on the Joystiq article aren't particularly flattering.

IndigoPrime

#5
@Molch-R: Still seems odd, given that Rebellion is a company name for 2000 AD's owners, not a (or part of a) product title. Reminds me of Tim Langdell of Edge fame suing any games that had 'edge' in their titles. Plus plenty of games have 'rebellion' in the title, so will they all be sued? Would be interesting to get more context about why this particular product has triggered a lawsuit.

EDIT: Actually, this isn't really a Langdell moment, given that he's trolling and Rebellion is clearly still a major force in gaming. Still a little odd to see though. Showcases more than anything that trademark laws and requirements are idiotic, forcing companies to do things that don't to mere mortals make a great deal of sense.

Steve Green

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Rebellion

Name was changed to Supremacy in the UK and Ireland... wonder if that's a similar deal?

Trout


JOE SOAP

#8
Lucas owns trademark on the word droid

Molch-R

Quote from: James Stacey on 17 August, 2012, 10:37:53 AM
It might not be down to how 'cool' you are, it might be a necessity to protect their trademark. Often companies don't want to sue but are obliged to if they want to uphold a trademark

GordonR

Quote from: JOE SOAP on 17 August, 2012, 11:41:51 AM
Lucas owns trademark on the word droid

"These aren't the droids you're suing us for."

Link Prime


James Stacey

Quote from: Link Prime on 17 August, 2012, 11:53:39 AM
Quote from: JOE SOAP on 17 August, 2012, 11:41:51 AM
Lucas owns trademark on the word droid

Yer kiddin. Jesus...
Did anyone else use the term 'droid' as opposed to 'android' before Lucas? If not, why shouldn't he ?

CraveNoir

Having read the article, I have to say it's sensible enough.
What if they'd called the game Sins of a Solar Empire: Valve, or Sins of a Solar Empire: Rock Star?

TordelBack

Quote from: CraveNoir on 17 August, 2012, 12:13:03 PM
What if they'd called the game Sins of a Solar Empire: Valve, or Sins of a Solar Empire: Rock Star?

What if they had?  Those are perfectly cromulent words.  If they'd called it Sins of a Solar Empire: Dredd vs Death I'd have been first in line to kick them in the RTS.

Anyhow, bottom line here is that Rebellion come across as a very sensible down-to-earth crowd, and if they think they need to do this I'm sure they know what they're doing - a hell of a lot more than we groundlings do at any rate.