"On 12/7 we will be using a Spanish crowdfunding platform named Verkami. We are doing so because we only have the HeroQuest trademark in Spain (but see below) and or use of it has been challenged by a holder of the trademark in the US. They wanted us to a) license the use of the trademark for our sales in the US and b) give them a written assurance that Hasbro has no issues with us marketing a 25th Anniversary edition of their game. We ignored both requests and they shut down our Kickstarter funding. Boo!"
No fucking idea what this sentence means. It's english, but not...
"Verkami requires us to complete the project or refund the money of supporters. We preferred Kickstarter, where many project creators spend their newly found riches on hookers and blow, but it's no longer an option."
"All those stretch goals we opened up on the Kickstarter side? We'll include them in the base project.'
But wait! There's more!
See, they have a "license" for HeroQuest in Spain, not the trademark. The trademark in Spain belongs to Hasbro's Spanish subsidiary.
Now someone DID apply from the HeroQuest trademark under BOARD GAMES in the US last week - link here
Applying for the trademark does not mean one actually HAS the trademark. I am damn well sure Venable, William Herny Cabell applied for the trademark at the request of Gamezone. edit: Apparently, he is a disbarred attorney. WTG Gamezone! edit edit: The application was filed the same day Kickstarter took down the project - 11/29.
Now, I know there are a refugee sized boatload of fans that want this game and fuck how it gets done, but does anyone reasonably suspect it will get done at this point? I see pure cash grab going on. Full speed ahead and damn the consequences.
I'd sooner give Nystul another bite at the apple then put my money on this.
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ReplyDeleteDammit, I was going you were going to tell me that Cryptozoic had shipped _Doom that came to Atlantic City_ so screw HeroQuest... stupid small phone screen.
ReplyDeleteHoly rusted metal Batman!
ReplyDeleteIt's true . . . there's nothing new under the sun, it's all been done before.
"does anyone reasonably suspect it will get done at this point?"
ReplyDeleteI suspect that it will. All of the intellectual monopoly garbage aside, the campaign has been much better designed than many I've supported (and which came through). Furthermore, the game has an extremely large base of support. While Kickstarter is presently the top dog in the crowdfunding market, Verkami is not a fly by night operation. I don't see much reason for pessimism, and I applaud Gamezone for pushing ahead.
Yeah, their ability to scam across borders is amazing.
DeleteLOL @ Hookers and Blow! I'm starting a Kickstarter tomorrow!!
ReplyDeleteAnd Verkami has already suspended/cancelled the project.
ReplyDelete"See, they have a "license" for HeroQuest in Spain, not the trademark. The trademark in Spain belongs to Hasbro's Spanish subsidiary."
ReplyDeleteThis is completely false. http://sitadex.oepm.es/SitadexWS/index.jsp?numExp=M3040965 Trademark registered to them and it's under "Game" products. So I don't understan why you lie like this.
It looks like you don't understand trademarks laws... GZ has the trademark in Spain. Noone has an international trademark. Hasbro has the uk trademark. Moon Design (the one that started the cease and desist on Kickstarter) has the trademark in US.
So, they can legally do what they want in Spain with the name Heroquest (well, NOT what they want. The trademark is registered as a "game or toy", so it must be a game, they can't do teacups with the name Heroquest printed on). They're not scamming anyone and they're not thief. Kickstarter dropped the project (I think) because it's an american crowfunding service so (I think) it must obey US trademarks. That was the only illegal thing GZ did: they opened a project on an american platform without checking if it was permitted.