In the Future, All Space Marines Will Be Warhammer 40K Space Marines

[daboarder]

Sadly not communist. Neither is Norway, sweeden, vietnam, north korea, venezuela, or any other country you can name past or present.

Sigh...dream land calls, it wants you back, in the mean time the rest of us live in the real world.

[Caitsidhe]

The issue is one of an attempt to expand Trademark into the realm of Copyright. Games Workshop figured that since they now had an E-Book that they had sole domain of the use of the words "space marine." It doesn't work that way. If they want to try and apply that in an actual court of law, let them go for it. I look forward to watching that debacle with great amusement. They can add wasted money to bad public relations to this ridiculous move.

Games Workshop has EVERY RIGHT to say we apply the Trademark to the "Space Marines" series of books. Trademark applies identifying a specific sort of product, but not to titles of books, characters within, and so on. I could right a book titled "Star Wars" if I wanted to do so. The key would be that my book would have to be VERY DIFFERENT from the setting George Lucas made famous. I can (and now I'm contemplating) writing one called Space Marines and there isn't a damn thing Games Workshop or anyone else can do about it as long as the story is unique and my own. Copyright applies.

[crartist24]

I so want to see the Heinlein family sue the crap outta games workshop most of their armies are stolen directly from star ship troopers. The ip that games workshop owns is not directly infringed upon by sci fi novels if it were then other sci fi writers wouldn't be able to reprint there books that have been written since the 1920's. This was a bone head move by games workshop personally as a free lance writer and artist I will choose to support my fellow creators and will not buy gw products until a proper sorry is issued. I am not calling for a full scale ban of gw this is my personal decision to vote with my pocket book.

[Mr Mystery]

Funny. As a freelance writer and artist I'd have thought you'd be acquainted with the need to defend your works, as GW are doing?

As for expanding their IP? Sounds like a shrewd business move, and one any given business worth it's salt would take.

Again, not one of us here are particularly well versed in IP law. As I and others have pointed out, GW are obliged to take action here. Whether they're being heavy handed or not we simply aren't informed enough to say with anything even dimly resembling certainty. However I am confident in saying GW's legal team know way more than anyone discussing this. It's entirely possible IP law means they have to be this heavy handed. But as I said, nobody here actually knows, so all we are left with is speculation!

[Psychosplodge]

If you would gladly name a communist country I'd love to move there.

I don't think any of the attempts have ever really worked...

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

I have family in Cuba and I've been able to visit several times and it's great. The people are all universally smart and educated with excellent manners and level of intelligence, and yeah the health care is top-notch.

[scadugenga]

Funny. As a freelance writer and artist I'd have thought you'd be acquainted with the need to defend your works, as GW are doing?

As for expanding their IP? Sounds like a shrewd business move, and one any given business worth it's salt would take.

Again, not one of us here are particularly well versed in IP law. As I and others have pointed out, GW are obliged to take action here. Whether they're being heavy handed or not we simply aren't informed enough to say with anything even dimly resembling certainty. However I am confident in saying GW's legal team know way more than anyone discussing this. It's entirely possible IP law means they have to be this heavy handed. But as I said, nobody here actually knows, so all we are left with is speculation!

Actually the main page article, including GW's canned response, clearly shows they were in the wrong, and knew it.

[Denzark]

1. 'Spots the Space Marine' sounds shoit. Even if they were a USMC style, aliens-esque marines in space type of thing, no true leatherneck gyrene would allow themselves to be called 'Spots'. I am glad GW did what they did.

2. Everything in the USSR, North Korea, China and Cuba, and Mongolia, are/were commie countries. Anyone who says different is a looney who flings their dung around their own cage.

That is all.

[Mr Mystery]

Actually the main page article, including GW's canned response, clearly shows they were in the wrong, and knew it.

Again, GW do own Space Marine (note the capitalisation, as it's important) in the Eurozone, and according to the BBC website, have done since 1995.

Others can use the term space marine, but not Space Marine in the eurozone.

Beyond that, all we have is largely speculation. Where does GW's obligation to defend their Tradmarks end? Has their current action been overboard? Buggered if we know, we're just plebs on the internets flapping our metaphorical gums.

And let's remember. GW haven't taken any legal action at this stage, according to the main article, so there's a lot of knickers in a twist over precisely nothing. This sort of thing is seemingly really rather common, hence extensive trademark law and international treaties in respect of said laws.

[scadugenga]

Denz, it's currently ranked #16 on a,Aaron's kindle military sci fi list...and apparently about a cookie baking mom who decides to come out of "retirement" to kick alien butt. I'd gather its more lighthearted than serious. Also has great ratings on amazon before this debacle.

Mr. M: they own squat in terms of literary trademarks for the term. Their "apology" clearly states this. Why are you continuing to fight this when they've acknowledged they were wrong?