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John Daker
Seeker
USA
78 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Nov 2020 : 01:18:19
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Not exactly a core product, but:
Gale Force Nine, a company that for many years has licensed D&D IP from WotC in order to produce, among other things, vinyl maps, spell and monster cards, DM screens, high-quality resin miniatures, and board games, many of them specifically Forgotten Realms-themed, has sued WotC for essentially the exact same shady business practices that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman sued them for last month.
Read all about it: https://www.enworld.org/threads/gale-force-9-sues-wotc.676516/
Mod edit: It was pointed out to me that this would be more appropriate in the RPG News section, so I'm putting it over there. 
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 22 Nov 2020 04:28:29
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 20 Nov 2020 : 02:15:21
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They could have a perfectly legit case, be wronged, be entitled to some sort of compensation.
Or they could have nothing more than a shaky and trolly case, waste time with what the courts call "vexatious litigation".
We don't have any details. We can only speculate. WotC (and Hasbro) have been legally belligerent before, they're no angels. But they're also high-profile targets, simply accusing them in public can be costly enough to be worth them quietly "settling" disputes out of court. |
[/Ayrik] |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 21 Nov 2020 : 06:05:36
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Acolyte Daker,
An interesting share. Thank you for putting that out there. I just finished reading the entire 21 page filing, which, if anyone wants to read it is at: https://www.scribd.com/document/480694976/Weis-and-Hickman-v-WoTC.
I haven't found a release in full pdf of the Gale Force Nine complaint yet, but will keep an eye out for it.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 21 Nov 2020 : 06:13:47
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Great Reader Ayrik,
quote:
They could have a perfectly legit case, be wronged, be entitled to some sort of compensation. Or they could have nothing more than a shaky and trolly case, waste time with what the courts call "vexatious litigation". We don't have any details. We can only speculate. WotC (and Hasbro) have been legally belligerent before, they're no angels. But they're also high-profile targets, simply accusing them in public can be costly enough to be worth them quietly "settling" disputes out of court.
You are certainly correct. If even a smidgen of what is alleged by W&H is true, discovery won't even happen, and this will be handled in back rooms. lol That is sheer, unadulterated politics if what is being suggested is true.
With a $10,000,000.00 price tag sought for damages, it's pretty unlikely that WotC will accept that, or that somewhere near that figure is "reasonable."
I would love to see that blood bath play out in District Court. The claims are pretty intense though. Either W&H, assuming validity of arguments presented thus far, are way off base, or WotC is going to have some serious embarrassment during discovery.
I'll be looking forward to these news updates!
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 21 Nov 2020 : 07:04:45
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Embarrassments usually escalate when the defendant launches countersuit. Details get tangled and mangled (and exhaustively scrutinized and frantically obscured) both ways. Ongoing legal expenses become a weapon of attrition in determining how "justice" is finally meted.
If the cost or loss is high enough to seriously threaten WotC then Hasbro will bring in their Big Lawyers. The ones who just happen to be retained because of their expert knowledge (and influence) in things like international copyright law and intellectual property law. If Hasbro gets involved then we know they're worried that accusations/allegations can indeed potentially be very damaging, if Hasbro remains uninvolved then we know WotC's legal property "ownership" is basically unassailable. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 21 Nov 2020 07:11:55 |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 21 Nov 2020 : 09:15:29
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Great Reader Ayrik,
quote:
Embarrassments usually escalate when the defendant launches countersuit. Details get tangled and mangled (and exhaustively scrutinized and frantically obscured) both ways.
Hmm, I honestly cannot say that I've parsed the data and determined the rate at which defendant countersuits caused that kind of issue, more often than not. Here in the U.S., it seems to be pretty equal, but that is just my anecdotal perspective.
quote:
Ongoing legal expenses become a weapon of attrition in determining how "justice" is finally meted.
Sadly, that is the way of the U.S. civil justice system. Yes, you are correct there, sadly for my country. :(
quote:
If the cost or loss is high enough to seriously threaten WotC then Hasbro will bring in their Big Lawyers. The ones who just happen to be retained because of their expert knowledge (and influence) in things like international copyright law and intellectual property law. If Hasbro gets involved then we know they're worried that accusations/allegations can indeed potentially be very damaging, if Hasbro remains uninvolved then we know WotC's legal property "ownership" is basically unassailable.
I agree there. It is a good litmus test based on your points.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Gale Force Nine sues WotC
