Fox Ripoff?

jimbob

<div class="IPBDescription">storm on the horizon?</div> erm guys, look at this, rip off, yay or nay? <a href='http://www.avpnews.com/avpns/avpnsintro.html' target='_blank'>http://www.avpnews.com/avpns/avpnsintro.html</a>

Lazysam

Nah, you young kids these days, this is old news. The conflict arose a long time ago, and this time it was the mod that could fox, fox. Flayra copywrited the name first and fox asked his permission to use it; he was kind enough let them keep the name. So that’s about it.

Comprox

Um, try again. This was the name originally annoucned for an expansion. They quickly and quietly changed the name once they found out Flayra had it copyrighted. Fox got foxed <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->

jimbob

yeah well i didn't know, i only got involved in the community and game once 1.0 was released <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

RhoadsToNowhere

IIRC, it's now called "Aliens vs. Predator: Primal Hunt." So no worries. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Brutus

They would only need permission to use Natural Selection is it was the same type of game. I could make a game about surviving on a desert island and call it Natural Selection and that would be fine.

Flayra

First of all, it's a trademark, not a copyright. Second of all, I have have the trademark for "Natural Selection", as a computer game in general. It doesn't have to look at all like NS, as long as it's called Natural Selection and is a computer game, I hold the rights to it.

Sephiroth2k

so you could let them use the name if they paid you a lot...

pardzh

That's a big nay on the ripoff.

This has been brought up before, as well.

GreyPaws

Doesnt Valve/Sierra own all of this anyway? Its a mod and Im sure they put in a clause to keep it if it gets hudge

FireStorm

<!--QuoteBegin--GreyPaws+Jan 30 2003, 06:44 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (GreyPaws @ Jan 30 2003, 06:44 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Doesnt Valve/Sierra own all of this anyway? Its a mod and Im sure they put in a clause to keep it if it gets hudge <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
You just can't sell it. But your mod belongs to you.

GreyPaws

<!--QuoteBegin--FireStorm+Jan 30 2003, 12:51 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (FireStorm @ Jan 30 2003, 12:51 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--GreyPaws+Jan 30 2003, 06:44 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (GreyPaws @ Jan 30 2003, 06:44 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Doesnt Valve/Sierra own all of this anyway? Its a mod and Im sure they put in a clause to keep it if it gets hudge <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You just can't sell it. But your mod belongs to you. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thnx for the info. So the profits from CS(excuse me for invoking satans true name) go to Valve/Sierra?

Trane

No, valve, doesnt have any rights to this mod. Their clauses, basically, say you can't sell the mod or anything like that. If you want to publish it on the halflife engine and make some money you have to go through valve, and thats how they covered their butts.

FireStorm

Valve bought CS from gooseman so now they can sell it (because it's their game). The same goes for Gunman.

Brutus

"U.S. trademark law when another person uses a device (a mark) so as to cause confusion as to the source or sponsorship of the goods or services involved. Multiple parties may use the same mark only where the goods of the parties are not so similar as to cause confusion among consumers. "

Fox could argue on a number of grounds that they both may be video games, but they do differ in some key aspects. 1.) AvP is an FPS game, while NS is known as the first RTS / FPS. AvP costs money, while NS does not.

Not trying to argue, I just find it facinating.

FireStorm

AvP is a video game.
NS is a video game. (a mod but you can play it like any video game)
That's enough.

Flayra

I'm not trying to argue either Brutus <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> but I already have the trademark for "Any video game called Natural Selection". There's really no way they could argue the case. Yes, there can be Natural Selection soap and orthopedic medicine, but no one else can make a video game with this name.

Venmoch

<!--QuoteBegin--Flayra+Jan 30 2003, 07:15 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Flayra @ Jan 30 2003, 07:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Natural Selection soap and orthopedic medicine, <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Let me guess, not in the shape of an Onos!

(And what type of name is Natural Selection for a SOAP!!!!)

Nemesis_Zero

<!--QuoteBegin--Flayra+Jan 30 2003, 07:15 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Flayra @ Jan 30 2003, 07:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Yes, there can be Natural Selection soap and orthopedic medicine, but no one else can make a video game with this name. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think we've spotted a market niché there...

Brutus

What about "AVP2 - Natural Selection" ?

I know most of us are use to people arguing and complaining on the internet, but to the other people out there that is not what we are doing. We are discussing, and I for one don't care of the outcome, I just think that law and trademark issues are interesting.

MMZ_Torak

Buy our Onos Soap, It' the only Natural Selection™.

Ph0enix

NS Soap, the natural choice <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

DOOManiac

<!--QuoteBegin--FireStorm+Jan 30 2003, 11:55 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (FireStorm @ Jan 30 2003, 11:55 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Valve bought CS from gooseman so now they can sell it (because it's their game). The same goes for Gunman. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's not entirely true for Gunman. They didn't buy gunman so much as sponsor the development of it. They brought the gunman team into valve for the project, paid them modest (okay, crappy) wages, and then gave them crap royalty rates (like 50 cents per copy sold). But afaik the Gunman team still owns all the rights to the namesake and the universe in which the game takes place...

Backslider

So what if I make some soap called "Natural-Selection" but the soap contains a nintendo cart that plays a game when you insert the soap in your nintendo?