33 replies to this topic

[TheSilken]

Sereglach, on 24 July 2015 - 05:20 PM, said:

I saw that, and those things aren't just reimagined unseens . . . they pretty much are unseens. Looking at the thumbnail image they look like straight up unseen mechs. It's only when you pull them up and look close that you see any amount of difference.

That means that either Catalyst has some secret weapons in it's art or research; or it's about to get really ugly for Catalyst when Harmony Gold comes calling.

Regardless, HG WILL come calling with a complaint. It's just a matter of what the results will be.

On the other hand, if this turns out well for Catalyst, then maybe I'll finally get a Wasp in MWO. That'd make me pretty happy.

Or maybe Catalyst is ready to finally end Harmony Gold once and for all? CGL's been pumping iron since HG started **** now it''s payback time.

[Heffay]

TheSilken, on 24 July 2015 - 09:44 PM, said:

Or maybe Catalyst is ready to finally end Harmony Gold once and for all? CGL's been pumping iron since HG started **** now it''s payback time.

Catalyst to HG:

[Sereglach]

Heffay, on 25 July 2015 - 05:57 AM, said:

Catalyst to HG:

Bad meme, considering Orpheus eventually gets his butt handed to him. I would have gone for something like Dirty Harry's "Feeling lucky, punk?" Much more fitting considering HG has to hope they have a leg to stand on, in court, or Catalyst will be able to put them down for good over the artwork issue.

[Joseph Mallan]

Snakerensky, on 24 July 2015 - 12:55 PM, said:

I was wondering that myself, those mechs on the cover of the new Mercenaries manual look awfully familiar, either Catalyst are taking a big risk or progress has been made with Harmony Gold.

Experimental Technical Readout: Republic (Volume 3)

[Alan Davion]

Rebas Kradd, on 24 July 2015 - 12:49 PM, said:

And what ever happened to the Hasbro suit?

A quick google search turned this up.

http://www.animenews...-case-dismissed

[Sereglach]

Alan Davion, on 25 July 2015 - 09:32 AM, said:

A quick google search turned this up.

http://www.animenews...-case-dismissed

Just to reiterate from the Unseen thread in General Discussion:

I'm surprised it came to such a low-profile ending. However, that also explains why it wasn't plastered all over the news, because it really doesn't create any solid precedents; and it didn't really come to a decisive ending.

The dual dismissal (where both parties agreed to just drop the issue), while squashing Harmony Gold in that instance, still leaves them open to come after Catalyst on the unseen issue; because they never reached a court room. So, unfortunately, the outcome of a Catalyst vs. Harmony Gold suit is still up in the air, if/when anything is filed.

[Mystere]

Wired, on 29 July 2013 - 05:48 AM, said:

Well in this new age of coming down hard on patent trolls, they should get what is coming to them. Right? right.

A drone strike?

[VinJade]

I was told that M$ no longer owns the rights to the video games & others say they do just licensed them out.

Now here is where this ties into this conversation, if there was a new PC game(Not counting pgi) put out by smith&tinker and the true IP is still with M$ and HG went after S&T would M$ get involved as well as they are indirectly going after them and their IP?

besides isn't Catalyst also only have the license to make BT as Tops(The same idiots that gave us clicky teck) owns that IP?

if so wouldn't tops lend a hand as hg would be going after their IP since they own it(unless that had changed).

[Sereglach]

VinJade, on 26 July 2015 - 10:39 AM, said:

I was told that M$ no longer owns the rights to the video games & others say they do just licensed them out.

Now here is where this ties into this conversation, if there was a new PC game(Not counting pgi) put out by smith&tinker and the true IP is still with M$ and HG went after S&T would M$ get involved as well as they are indirectly going after them and their IP?

besides isn't Catalyst also only have the license to make BT as Tops(The same idiots that gave us clicky teck) owns that IP?

if so wouldn't tops lend a hand as hg would be going after their IP since they own it(unless that had changed).

Lots of issues/misconceptions that need to be clarified/corrected in those statements.

1. Microsoft does own the rights to the electronic content (not just games, but if there was an official mech building program made for TT, Microsoft would have to license it) related to the Battletech franchise . . . known as "MechWarrior franchise".

2. No game can be put out for the MechWarrior franchise without Microsoft's liscence. So the Smith and Tinker point is moot. Also, Smith and Tinker went under around the same time that Piranha Games got a license to the MechWarrior franchise to make MWO.

3. IF HG were to sue any electronic facet of Battletech, which would be the purview of the MechWarrior Franchise, then they might (and only might) need to deal with Microsoft. If it's over art assets made by PGI, then they'd be suing PGI, and not Microsoft, because of who made the assets in question. Microsoft could possibly step in and help with the defense if they gave their blessing on the assets and opted to defend their own blessing/decision.

4. Catalyst does have the license for the TT facet of the Battletech Franchise from Topps, and Iron Wind Metals has the license from Topps to create metal miniatures for the game (Catalyst can, and does, make plastic miniatures as of late).

5. However, the TT and Electronic facets of the Battletech IP are separated in a lot of ways, so just because Catalyst does something doesn't mean that PGI must follow suit. Also, if HG sues over an electronic art asset, that doesn't mean that Catalyst or Topps would be involved in that lawsuit.


. . . so . . . welcome to the convoluted mess of the Battletech IP.

[Kalimaster]

I'm going to side with Hasbro. I am so sick and tired of Harmony Gold suing everybody.

[Lily from animove]

Kalimaster, on 27 July 2015 - 06:50 AM, said:

I'm going to side with Hasbro. I am so sick and tired of Harmony Gold suing everybody.

guess thats the only thing they still cna do and keeps them alive.

[Kalimaster]

Lily, you may be more right than you know.

[MW Waldorf Statler]

HG has only Rights with the Original Unseen Robotech/Macross designs ...that the only Rights, all others after the fail of FASAs Fight against playmate were most inofficial handles between FASA and HG ..the new designs far away from the Original Robotech designs

[Kyone Akashi]

Oh man, I can't imagine this mess was what people wanted to achieve when they came up with copyright laws. A perfect example of what happens if you let corporations run amok with stuff like this.