Games Workshop starting to bully others over 'Space Marine' trademark - Polidicks

[QUOTE]For years, there have been stories about Games Workshop being trademark bullies and sending threats to people who use the term "space marine" in connection with games. But now that they've started publishing ebooks, Games Workshop has begun to assert a trademark on the generic, widely used, very old term "space marine" in connection with science fiction literature.[/QUOTE] [url]http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/games-workshop-trademark-bully.html[/url] Games Workshop have really gone downhill in recent years.

anything to get them more money, I guess. I don't like a lot of what they do [editline]6th February 2013[/editline] seriously, most of the money I spend on 40k has been because of paints

[QUOTE=bunnyspy1;39494963]anything to get them more money, I guess. I don't like a lot of what they do[/QUOTE] I used to love WH40k, but now I can barely afford the damn things.

to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if the copyright claim only directly applies to a titled name "space marine" as opposed to a mention or role designation somewhere in the book.

So will games workshop sue the US military in the future for having actual space marines?

I hope garry doesn't make me change my username.

Well, if anyone has a claim to it, it is games workshop, but I'm still not sure how I feel about this.

They're just panicking because they've been losing sales, probably because everything they sell is way way overpriced.

Yeah Games Workshop is just too expensive, maybe if they didn't have to run all the stores and they sold exclusively online it would be better.

I hate GW as a company, I remember when I was like 12 I used to love going in and playing games and using the shop's facilities to help build and paint my armies, and they used to have fantastic events on - Hell, it's nerdy to admit but I had some fantastic times in a Games Workshop. But now they make you buy literally everything yourself and barely lend a single helping hand, and the prices of models are extortionate. I remember when a ten man squad of Space Marines cost £15 (which is a lot for ten plastic figures), and now it costs £23. They've literally became all about the money, and less about everyone else in the world. I know, it's silly saying that considering it is a business at the end of the day, but they've just about wiped out the community feel that they once had, and have become a bunch of money grabbing jerks.

I'd like to see what happens if they try this with whoever currently owns the rights to Starship Troopers.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;39495326]They're just panicking because they've been losing sales, probably because everything they sell is way way overpriced.[/QUOTE] Nope, looking at their half year results up to the 2nd of December 2012, sales are up £7 million on the year before, which is above inflation. This isn't that surprising though, Games Workshop have always been incredibly aggressive over trademarks and copyright.

[QUOTE=frankie penis;39494949]Games Workshop have really gone downhill in recent years.[/QUOTE] "Games workshop are going downhill" - My dad a few years after White Dwarf became GW only, and when they only sold their own stuff in stores. They have a shitty business tactic, bring in gamers who will spend large amounts of money, then stop buying after a few years, instead they should have things at lower prices which will encourage people to play for longer and spend more money.

[QUOTE=Askaris;39495572]I'd like to see what happens if they try this with whoever currently owns the rights to Starship Troopers.[/QUOTE] Except afaik the phrase "space marine" was never used in Starship Troopers. If anything it's whoever owns the rights to the lensman series. As that pretty much came up with the entire idea of Space Marines

At least we got space biker

To quote RPG.net on the subject: [quote] GW can eat a mountain of dicks. [/quote] Also, Scalzi weighs in: [url]http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/02/06/space-marines-and-the-battle-of-tradem-ark/[/url] My thoughts? GW's the EA of Tabletop gaming. Not a big surprise, this. Also, FASA* Master Race, yo. *Yeah, I know Traveler and Battletech are published by Mongoose and Catalyst these days.

Don't they have to aggressively defend trademarks anyway? Because it's such a big and identifiable brand too

[QUOTE=kenji;39497791]Don't they have to aggressively defend trademarks anyway? Because it's such a big and identifiable brand too[/QUOTE] It can be a valid concern but they're excessively paranoid about it

[QUOTE=kenji;39497791]Don't they have to aggressively defend trademarks anyway? Because it's such a big and identifiable brand too[/QUOTE] Not really, it's an incredibly generic term and they certainly weren't the first to use it. Seriously, it's like George Lucas started suing everyone that used the word "starfighter".

[quote][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Amazing_Stories_December_1936.jpg[/img][/quote] Hope they can beat 1936 then, because they used it FAR before GW did.

[QUOTE=Camundongo;39495638]Nope, looking at their half year results up to the 2nd of December 2012, sales are up £7 million on the year before, which is above inflation. This isn't that surprising though, Games Workshop have always been incredibly aggressive over trademarks and copyright.[/QUOTE] It's got a lotto do with the almost monopoly like status they have. Since you can't play Warhammer 40k without their models, everyone who wants to play that particular game has to go through them, allowing them to charge what they like with little opposition. Their brands are pretty much what keeps them in business.

I used to play 40k, but holy shit it's just way too goddamned expensive now. I'll still buy one of their high end models to paint because I like painting and they have some really damn good stuff, but there's no way I'm paying for an army at this point.

[QUOTE=Jeep-Eep;39497684]To quote RPG.net on the subject: Also, Scalzi weighs in: [URL]http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/02/06/space-marines-and-the-battle-of-tradem-ark/[/URL] My thoughts? GW's the EA of Tabletop gaming. Not a big surprise, this. Also, FASA* Master Race, yo. *Yeah, I know Traveler and Battletech are published by Mongoose and Catalyst these days.[/QUOTE] Oh you're one of[I] those[/I] gamers. Well I'm glad you found a way to feel superior to other tabletop games.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;39495326]They're just panicking because they've been losing sales, probably because everything they sell is way way overpriced.[/QUOTE] Back when i started about 8 years ago things were almost half the price they are now. I don't see them lowering prices at any point either, they will just keep going up. I still like W40K but some of the things they've done over the past few years are stupid (Mainly completely changing a few things for no reason) The GW site says "all associated products, marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/devices/logos/symbols, factions, vehicles, locations, weapons, units, characters, illustrations and images from the Warhammer World and Warhammer 40,000 Universe are either ®, TM and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-201" So wouldn't that include Space Marines?

[QUOTE=nightlord;39498719]Back when i started about 8 years ago things were almost half the price they are now. I don't see them lowering prices at any point either, they will just keep going up. I still like W40K but some of the things they've done over the past few years are stupid (Mainly completely changing a few things for no reason) The GW site says "all associated products, marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/devices/logos/symbols, factions, vehicles, locations, weapons, units, characters, illustrations and images from the Warhammer World and Warhammer 40,000 Universe are either ®, TM and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-201" So wouldn't that include Space Marines?[/QUOTE] Space Marines as in, The Emperor's Finest, but not just the generic term "Space Marine". its not unique to them and they didn't coin it first, as shown by my above picture. A space marine is "a marine in space" not, "a genetically enhanced supersoldier who serves the emprah in the years of 40k"

[QUOTE=nightlord;39498719]Back when i started about 8 years ago things were almost half the price they are now. I don't see them lowering prices at any point either, they will just keep going up. I still like W40K but some of the things they've done over the past few years are stupid (Mainly completely changing a few things for no reason) The GW site says "all associated products, marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/devices/logos/symbols, factions, vehicles, locations, weapons, units, characters, illustrations and images from the Warhammer World and Warhammer 40,000 Universe are either ®, TM and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-201" So wouldn't that include Space Marines?[/QUOTE] Oh they've definitely gone up. I remember buying a space marine battle force for around £50, which is still pretty steep, but more reasonable than the [B]£80[/B] they now cost. Somehow a few bits of plastic have somehow risen £30 in value in about 5 years.

Every Games Workshop I walk past is a dark, crappy little place. Maybe their sales are shit because nobody's brave enough to enter.

I can see them going after the use of Space Marines and.. genetically altered superhumans who serve all of humanity; insofar as they're used together. Yet the raw term "Space Marine" is so absolutely generic, I can't see how they can go after it. Doomguy's a space marine. The Halo Universe could be seen as space marines. Duke Nukem has them, Quake, StarCraft, etcetera etcetera. Also, Duke Nukem had "Earth Defense Force" well before "Earth Defense Force" the game even came out. :v:

BTW, GW's legal division is unqualified and consists of two people, one of them promoted from the Mail department. Ineptitude is to be expected.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;39499000]Oh they've definitely gone up. I remember buying a space marine battle force for around £50, which is still pretty steep, but more reasonable than the [B]£80[/B] they now cost. Somehow a few bits of plastic have somehow risen £30 in value in about 5 years.[/QUOTE] That feel when you pay almost £100 for 6 guys on bikes, a slightly larger Land Speeder, a finecast character and a rulebook. [sp]At a 20% discount price. Also, its not "almost £100." http://puu.sh/1Yy3R[/sp]