530 replies to this topic

[Spider-Man]

I didn't think that someone could trademark the name "Space Marine"? It seems like such a broad generic name, it would be like me trademarking the name John Smith. And my second point is, why would Game Workshop wait until it reached 10,000 to complain about it? Just seems like a jerk move to me

[DraikNova]

I think it´s ridiculous. And please tell me you won´t have to go through the whole 10 000 supporters thing again.

And didn´t you already have a list of alternate names?

[yogurt]

That's Games Workshop for you. There IP lawyers are insane. Although in this case they do have a point as Space Marines are listed as a trademark in their rulebooks.

[Algernon]

Wow. Really? Wow.

"Space Marines". What are they going to do next, sue the Halo franchise? Or Starcraft? What made them zero in on this project?

I'm angry for you and I hope you get it worked out.

[Jedi master Brick]

This is stupid.  You can not copyright a generic term such as space marine.   Hopefully Nic can sort this out. The term was used before Warhammer 40K used it so the copyright claim is clearly invalid and therefore the name should not be an issue.  I do not see how Warhammer loses out from space marines lego, infact this whole incident is just bad PR for them.  I dislike it when people/big companies copyright genric terms or terms used before.  Well as I havce said before, we can only hope Nick sorts it our.

[-N13OS-]

@ Algernon Games Workshop actually was suing Blizzard...

[DraikNova]

That's like an aircraft company suing a fish for using their tail fin design.

[halfpenguinhalflego]

Another reason I stopped collecting Games Workshop stuff. The company is full of @#?@s.

I hope it all gets sorted out. Maybe you can make a poll for us all to decide the name?

[yogurt]

There is actually a company that's fighting this issue out with Games Workshop.

Edited by yogurt, 10 December 2012 - 08:09 PM.

[vynsane]

Star Marines - problem solved. (I'm sure that's already under consideration).

Screw GW. How dare they take action now, after all this time.

[-N13OS-]

Guys guys guys wait.
If Games Workshop has registered Space Marine as a trade mark, there's nothing we can do: they have a patent.

[Algernon]

-N13OS-, on 10 December 2012 - 09:35 PM, said:

Guys guys guys wait.
If Games Workshop has registered Space Marine as a trade mark, there's nothing we can do: they have a patent.

I just don't understand how anybody can have that kind of patent. It's such a broad sci-fi concept that's been used dozens, if not hundreds, of times... in triple-A franchises no less.

[Brickmeister General]

Algernon, on 10 December 2012 - 09:51 PM, said:

I just don't understand how anybody can have that kind of patent. It's such a broad sci-fi concept that's been used dozens, if not hundreds, of times... in triple-A franchises no less.

The concept might have been used, but I cant think of any examples where other franchises flat out refer to them as "space marines". Like it or not, but the phrase "Space Marine" is heavily associated with the Games Workshop product. I was actually surprised this hadnt been jumped on by GW already by now, as their lawyers are quite ferocious in defending their IP. Actually building lego drop-pods really raised an eyebrow for me as well, there was no way they were going to let that slide.

Best of luck to Hjmediastudies getting this sorted out and the Cuusoo project approved by Lego. I voted to support. :)

[vynsane]

-N13OS-, on 10 December 2012 - 09:35 PM, said:

Guys guys guys wait.
If Games Workshop has registered Space Marine as a trade mark, there's nothing we can do: they have a patent.

They may have registered Space Marine as a trademark, but they didn't invent them, so they do not have a patent.

Anyway, I'm not saying that they shouldn't have their trademark upheld, I'm just incensed at the fact that they waited until the idea entered the review stage to make their move. If they were so concerned, they should have done so from the start, and the idea would have had time to figure out the next move. Now it's a scramble, I'm sure, to come up with an alternative name.

[Hikaro Takayama]

Well, actually, "Space Marine" is registered by Games Workshop, however space marine is not, for the simple expedient that they are two common words used in the English language, and no copyright or trademark law allows such to be registered....  Who knew that a simple capitalization could cause so much trouble.

Of course, that's why the only GW products I'll buy is some of the Black Library books...  Games Workshop is the Apple and Micro$oft of the tabletop gaming world:  They'll sue anybody and everybody who makes anything even remotely like theirs (including Blizzard, another company that's infamous for sending in the lawyers at the slightest provocation).

Here's hoping everything gets sorted out soon.

[CallMePie]

vynsane, on 10 December 2012 - 10:20 PM, said:

Anyway, I'm not saying that they shouldn't have their trademark upheld, I'm just incensed at the fact that they waited until the idea entered the review stage to make their move. If they were so concerned, they should have done so from the start, and the idea would have had time to figure out the next move. Now it's a scramble, I'm sure, to come up with an alternative name.

This is probably the first time they've become aware of it.

[vynsane]

CallMePie, on 11 December 2012 - 05:18 AM, said:

This is probably the first time they've become aware of it.

The first post here is over a year old, which is around when the project was first added to CUUSOO, IIRC. I highly doubt they only stumbled upon it this past week, coincidentally when it hit 10k and moved on to the review stage.

Edited by vynsane, 11 December 2012 - 06:11 AM.

[Dr.Cogg]

Why haven't they gone after Halo ,isn't Master Chief a Space Marine

[-N13OS-]

Ummm, no. Master Chief is a Spartan.

Also, does anyone remember how Bethesda Studios has sued Mojang for using word Scrolls in the title of their side-project?

Edited by -N13OS-, 11 December 2012 - 06:42 AM.

[yogurt]

I suspect that Games Workshop doesn't trawl sites like this or the 1000's of projects on Cuusoo, but probably does keep an eye on which projects reach the review stage.

[PsyKater]

Jedi master Brick, on 10 December 2012 - 07:37 PM, said:

This is stupid.  You can not copyright a generic term such as space marine.   Hopefully Nic can sort this out. The term was used before Warhammer 40K used it so the copyright claim is clearly invalid and therefore the name should not be an issue.  I do not see how Warhammer loses out from space marines lego, infact this whole incident is just bad PR for them.  I dislike it when people/big companies copyright genric terms or terms used before.  Well as I havce said before, we can only hope Nick sorts it our.

Do you even know what you are talking about


At the moment the project reached 10'000 supporters, news were spreat and the company probably heard it for the first time. If it is their IP, then it is. And then LEGO has to use another name. Did any of you even read the LEGO Cuusoo statement?

Quote

What happened to those space guys?

Hi LEGO Fans. You're probably wondering what happened to those awesome-looking space military guys on LEGO CUUSOO; you know, the ones that reached 10,000 supporters just before the Winter Review deadline. Well, the name of the project used by the fan builder is actually a trademark owned by another company, and they requested we stop using it on our site.
While we let you submit projects that refer to trademarks owned by others, we don't enforce others' trademarks ourselves. However we are legally obligated to comply when we receive a request from a rights holder to remove their trademarks.
Since all of you voted the project to 10,000, and since the artwork is original and based on LEGO elements, it's our opinion that the only trademark infringement here is the use of the name. So, we're in contact with NickRoyer to pick a new name and continue to consider the project in the Winter Review. We hope to have it back online soon with the new name.

Sorry about the surprise, and happy building!

Nothing to worry about, nothing serious. Business as usual.

Edited by PsyKater, 11 December 2012 - 10:01 AM.

[-N13OS-]

Me and my friend has been in discussion about names... Do you receive suggestions, Nick?

[Daiman]

I haven't read back on all the comments (but will)
In the case of COOSUU I think that simply implying a name choice would be irrelevant to the designs submitted.
The final product would be decided by TLG and naming it goes along with that.
We all love the designs submitted and by re badging the whole thing the 'Space Marine' argument becomes moot.

This in particular fits in well with their fractured developments in the space theme and presents yet another faction in the realization of a multiverse
in which it happens, can I use the term Multiverse...
I shudder to think that this popular design sense submitted in the appropriate manner has been shut down because TLG considers it competes with or compromises
their existing plans for the space theme, at least without being open about it.
That all said I am still a big fan of 'Space Marines' and TLG and am keen to hear on future developments if they're are any...

[Daiman]

Hi LEGO Fans. You're probably wondering what happened to those awesome-looking space military guys on LEGO CUUSOO; you know, the ones that reached 10,000 supporters just before the Winter Review deadline. Well, the name of the project used by the fan builder is actually a trademark owned by another company, and they requested we stop using it on our site.
While we let you submit projects that refer to trademarks owned by others, we don't enforce others' trademarks ourselves. However we are legally obligated to comply when we receive a request from a rights holder to remove their trademarks.
Since all of you voted the project to 10,000, and since the artwork is original and based on LEGO elements, it's our opinion that the only trademark infringement here is the use of the name. So, we're in contact with NickRoyer to pick a new name and continue to consider the project in the Winter Review. We hope to have it back online soon with the new name.

Sorry about the surprise, and happy building!




And so all this pops up right above my comment...DOH

Edited by Daiman, 11 December 2012 - 10:23 AM.

[Axis600]

Daiman, on 11 December 2012 - 10:21 AM, said:

Hi LEGO Fans. You're probably wondering what happened to those awesome-looking space military guys on LEGO CUUSOO; you know, the ones that reached 10,000 supporters just before the Winter Review deadline. Well, the name of the project used by the fan builder is actually a trademark owned by another company, and they requested we stop using it on our site.
While we let you submit projects that refer to trademarks owned by others, we don't enforce others' trademarks ourselves. However we are legally obligated to comply when we receive a request from a rights holder to remove their trademarks.
Since all of you voted the project to 10,000, and since the artwork is original and based on LEGO elements, it's our opinion that the only trademark infringement here is the use of the name. So, we're in contact with NickRoyer to pick a new name and continue to consider the project in the Winter Review. We hope to have it back online soon with the new name.

Sorry about the surprise, and happy building!




And so all this pops up right above my comment...DOH

Well, as nuts as it is to require the name change, it's all taken care of. It's not like it's Lego's fault. As someone on Cuusoo said, if Apple can trademark the bloody tablet, then I guess anything is fair game for copyrights now.