35 replies to this topic

[Agent 0 Fortune]

Another post got me confused about IP.

For a long time I thought Microsoft owned the Battletech and Mechwarrior IP.
and that Jordan Weisman, founder of Smith & Tinker leased/license the right to create a game (around 2007).

So my question who "owns" what? does Microsoft still own the IP or did Pariah purchase it (or did they license it), What involvement if any do other parties have (Harmony Gold, Cataclysm, etc).

Looking for info and not finding satisfactory information on the intarwebs.

[Creel]

the history is convoluted, but the short answer is that M$ owns digital rights, Catalyst owns board game rights, harmony gold owns some images that were used for a few of the original mechs.

Piranha is leasing the digital rights from M$

Weisman is the original founder of FASA, the company that created battletech in the 80s

[Legionn]

Ekman's posts are much more concise and easier to read, so read his.

Edited by Legionn, 19 November 2011 - 09:54 PM.

[Bryan Ekman]

The BattleTech IP is divided up as follows.

Digital rights are owned by Microsoft through their purchase of FASA Interactive
Pen and Paper rights are owned by Topps through their purchase of WizKids.

Digital rights have been sublicensed by Smith & Tinker, then PGI.
Pen and Paper rights have been sublicensed by Catalyst Game Labs.

Movie rights are owned by another company all together.

[Bryan Ekman]

The unseen are a whole other issue and much more complicated.

[Bryan Ekman]

Jordan does not control the rights to any FASA products directly anymore.

[Agent 0 Fortune]

Thanks,
You folks have a better understanding of the issues than I. My concern is that if Microsoft owns the digital rights, what does that mean for MWO? is it a license in perpetuity or annual renewal? (meaning after 1 year of MWO fun is it canceled because of a licensing disagreement).

Edited by Agent.0.Fortune, 21 November 2011 - 08:00 AM.

[Red Beard]

Another interesting question. Who owns and operates Infinite Game Publishing?

[Russ Bullock]

Red Beard, on 19 November 2011 - 09:33 PM, said:

Another interesting question. Who owns and operates Infinite Game Publishing?

IGP will be having an announcement within a couple of weeks to spread more light about them.

[Red Beard]

Russ Bullock, on 19 November 2011 - 11:34 PM, said:

IGP will be having an announcement within a couple of weeks to spread more light about them.

Thank you for answering my question Mr. Bullock. It is my firm belief that most of this community has little to no TRUE understanding of the degree of PERSONAL investment, and therefore risk, that you good gentlemen have in this upcoming release. I for one plan to support your efforts with time and money, for my part.

Thank you again!

[Woodstock]

I would be interested in finding out how 'changed' the unseen need to be to slip through the evil clutches of Harmony gold.



I mean are we talking about a different 'head' on the warhammer or are we also talking the whole arm/should light etc etc silhouette?

Edited by woodstock, 20 November 2011 - 06:04 AM.

[Jack Gallows]

Bryan Ekman, on 19 November 2011 - 09:01 PM, said:

The BattleTech IP is divided up as follows.

Digital rights are owned by Microsoft through their purchase of FASA Interactive
Pen and Paper rights are owned by Topps through their purchase of WizKids.

Digital rights have been sublicensed by Smith & Tinker, then PGI.
Pen and Paper rights have been sublicensed by Catalyst Game Labs.

Movie rights are owned by another company all together.

Man, what a herculean feat that'd be to get all the rights back into under one roof...that's insane.

[Red Beard]

Jack Gallows, on 20 November 2011 - 06:11 AM, said:

Man, what a herculean feat that'd be to get all the rights back into under one roof...that's insane.

Step one:

Create a game that generates a boat-load of revenue.

[Korbyn McColl]

woodstock, on 20 November 2011 - 06:03 AM, said:

I would be interested in finding out how 'changed' the unseen need to be to slip through the evil clutches of Harmony gold.



I mean are we talking about a different 'head' on the warhammer or are we also talking the whole arm/should light etc etc silhouette?

"On 24 June, 2009, it was announced that Catalyst Game Labs had secured the permissions needed to utilize the original "unseen" artwork for these designs again." (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Unseen)

Assuming Sarna is correct, they shouldn't need to make any changes at all. Though I do hope FlyingDebris makes some changes to them. Really like his style.

[CoffiNail]

Did you just drop a hint O.O DID YOU!!!! Early Christmas present?

Bryan Ekman, on 19 November 2011 - 09:01 PM, said:

Movie rights are owned by another company all together.

[Pht]

Topps owns the most basic rights to the IP. Catalyst leases its rights to the IP from topps. MS owns the rights to the electronic versions of the old fasa IPs.

PG is leasing the rights from MS directly now; previously it was Smith and Tinker that obtained the lease on the rights from MS to make the video game and PG was working with S&T.

HG contests the rights to *only* the visual likenesses of several of the early mechs - nothing more. No, nobody knows for sure if HG's claim was any more valid than Fasa's claim at the time as the company that Fasa got it's rights from went out of business and their paper trail was lost a long time ago.

[Red Beard]

So you are trying to explain the situation BETTER than Bryan Ekman. I mean, his response is RIGHT there, and yet you felt the need to re-explain what he just said?

[Pht]

Red Beard, on 20 November 2011 - 05:02 PM, said:

So you are trying to explain the situation BETTER than Bryan Ekman. I mean, his response is RIGHT there, and yet you felt the need to re-explain what he just said?

No, I wasn't trying to "explain it better." I saw the first post and replied to it and missed that Bryan had posted.

Is there some reason you feel obliged to come after me?

[Red Beard]

Pht, on 20 November 2011 - 05:06 PM, said:

I saw the first post and replied to it and missed that Bryan had posted.

Ahh...

[Red Beard]

Pht, on 20 November 2011 - 05:06 PM, said:

Is there some reason you feel obliged to come after me?

"Come after you"? That's not coming after you. And that is a funny thing to say.

I posted what I said because it seemed REALLY disrespectful to attempt to re-explain what THE MAN just stated. That said, see above post.

Some folks is so sensitive.

Edited by Red Beard, 20 November 2011 - 07:13 PM.