Quote: Original post by Goober King
Then there is a certain kinship issue. Apple is the same thing, a company that used a real world word in the same manor as Langdell. They can't afford to be saying on record that its not fair to be cornering the market on a word. Fortunately the word apple is a bit more functionally outside the industry than the word edge.

You'd think Apple might empathize with Mobigames given their ongoing legal battles over the Apple trademark with Apple Corp.

Quote: Original post by mattnewport

Quote: Original post by Goober King
Then there is a certain kinship issue. Apple is the same thing, a company that used a real world word in the same manor as Langdell. They can't afford to be saying on record that its not fair to be cornering the market on a word. Fortunately the word apple is a bit more functionally outside the industry than the word edge.

You'd think Apple might empathize with Mobigames given their ongoing legal battles over the Apple trademark with Apple Corp.

The phrase "you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law" comes to mind. I know its out of place but some realities are relevant. Saying anything could complicate their lives. Even if it seems harmless at the time.

Apple's Edge. I'd like to see anyone get out of that one.

Relevant reading

Quote: From #gamedev
[8/11/2009 6:08:53 PM] <Jovan> http://www.the--edge.com/edgegames/mobigame.htm <- boy this is heavy

I've read Langdell's version of events, and it certainly paints a different picture. This is not surprising. He does offer a lot of information to back up his side. While I don't think he's behaving very well, if he's telling the truth then Pazapian was not by a long shot either.

I can't make a a favorable call towards either side given the information currently available. For this stuff to explode in public is unusual, and it's important to be extremely wary of both sides when it does.

Quote: Original post by MaulingMonkey
Relevant reading

Quote: From #gamedev
[8/11/2009 6:08:53 PM] <Jovan> http://www.the--edge.com/edgegames/mobigame.htm <- boy this is heavy

None of that makes them look any better, even if you take it at face value. Even if they had to order Mobigames to cease and desist over having a game called "Edge", which to me is a pretty big "if", they didn't have to demand that they pay 25% of their revenue or call it a tribute to one of their old games that I gather is itself pretty derivative and slap the Edge company logo on it. This, combined with the Mirror's Edge and Edge of Twilight incidents,and Edge Games' overall irrelevance, make it pretty clear that this company sits around and waits for someone to use the word "edge" in a product, then "amicably negotiates" with them to "license" the brand. If they received even a single penny for their use of the word Mirrors Edge, for instance, they're trademark trolls. Is anyone really retarded enough to confuse "EDGE, the game company" with "Mirror's Edge, a game by EA"? IMO, this Tim Langdell dude should read this http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/20-totally-overused-words-in-game-names-/ and realize that multiple games can use common words from the English language, and it's no threat to his completely irrelevant company. If the trademark laws are that screwed up that other companies using a common word in completely different products sharing the same industry are something about which he has to take some sort of action, he can at least not be a dick about it.

Also, does the IGDA actually do anything relevant enough for people to care if this guy is a board member? I remember tons of developers leaving it last year, and all else I could find on Google is that they sponsor some scholarships, they meet at GDC, and this incident. Maybe someone could correct me on this?

Quote: Original post by cPugh
None of that makes them look any better, even if you take it at face value. Even if they had to order Mobigames to cease and desist over having a game called "Edge", which to me is a pretty big "if", they didn't have to demand that they pay 25% of their revenue or call it a tribute to one of their old games that I gather is itself pretty derivative and slap the Edge company logo on it. This, combined with the Mirror's Edge and Edge of Twilight incidents,and Edge Games' overall irrelevance, make it pretty clear that this company sits around and waits for someone to use the word "edge" in a product, then "amicably negotiates" with them to "license" the brand. If they received even a single penny for their use of the word Mirrors Edge, for instance, they're trademark trolls. Is anyone really retarded enough to confuse "EDGE, the game company" with "Mirror's Edge, a game by EA"? IMO, this Tim Langdell dude should read this http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/20-totally-overused-words-in-game-names-/ and realize that multiple games can use common words from the English language, and it's no threat to his completely irrelevant company. If the trademark laws are that screwed up that other companies using a common word in completely different products sharing the same industry are something about which he has to take some sort of action, he can at least not be a dick about it.

Seconded. That he would be pathetic enough to even file a trademark for a common word shows his motivation. That our trademark laws are so screwed up that they gave it to him is another whole story. [sad]

Today's patent troll: creating XML documents. * Can we stop this legal nonsense already!?
I guess I made the wrong career choice after law school. [rolleyes]



* Yes, I fully understand that patent != copyright != trademark