Hey, so you know this "space marine" thing?

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Staff member

• Feb 7, 2013

• #1

If you're not familiar - Game Workshop has decided it now owns the words "space marine" and is taking action against people using the term.

The best part of the whole thing, though, is this editorial from Games Workshop's magazine White Dwarf, issue #5, in February 1978, written by co-founder Ian Livingstone himself, railing against over strict enforcement of copyright laws and the damage that does to the consumer. Enjoy! (Note that Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson have not been with GW for many years). While it probably doesn't qualify as "ironic" (unless in an Alanis Morissette sense), I think it does qualify as "amusing".

​

 

Last edited: Feb 7, 2013

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Stormonu

Legend

• Feb 7, 2013

• #2

Gee, it's like Games Workshop is trying to step into TSR's shoes [MENTION=19675]Dannyalcatraz[/MENTION], don't you know a bit about copyright law ?

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Feb 7, 2013

• #3

I'm thinking "space marine" is quite a bit more generic than, saaaaayy..."Jedi Knight"- I don't see GW accomplishing anything with this beyond letting my colleagues have a bit more walkin' around money.

 

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Staff member

• Feb 7, 2013

• #4

It seems to have turned into more of a PR issue now than a legal one. GW is blocking people on Twitter left, right, and centre.

 

Mark CMG

Creative Mountain Games

• Feb 7, 2013

• #5

Certainly seems to be an overreach with consequences.

 

Deset Gled

.

• Feb 7, 2013

• #6

I was interested in the origin of the term "space marine", as it seemed much older to me than Warhammer. I was pleased to find the work had already been done for me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_marine

The earliest known use of the term "space marine" was by Bob Olsen in his short story "Captain Brink of the Space Marines" (Amazing Stories, Volume 7, Number 8, November 1932)

...

...a more direct mention is made in First Lensman (1950): "Dronvire of Rigel Four in the lead, closely followed by Costigan, Northrop, Kinnison the Younger, and a platoon of armed and armored Space Marines!".

...

The phrase "space marines" appears in Robert A. Heinlein's "Misfit"[d] (1939) and is again used in "The Long Watch"[e] (1941) which is referenced in his later novel Space Cadet (1948), in all cases before Smith had used the phrase. Heinlein's Starship Troopers (1959) is considered the defining work for the concept;

Click to expand...

I think GW is off their rocker if they think their claim could hold up in court. It sounds like they're just bullying the little guys right now.

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Feb 7, 2013

• #7

GW seems to have a tin ear when it comes to PR, and some questionable business practices. Questionable in the sense of "Why would you DO something so stupid?"

For example, when they launched their store at the Grapevine Mills Mall in the D/FW Metroplex, they undercut the prices of most of the gaming stores selling their stuff. That got a pretty hostile response from those store owners- deep discounts on GW stuff, followed by a refusal to restock...

 

I'm A Banana

Potassium-Rich

• Feb 7, 2013

• #8

Me no likey when entities try to claim the generic as something specific.

So: space marine, space marine, space marine, space marine, army builder, space marine.

 

mach1.9pants

Hero

• Feb 7, 2013

• #9

Yeah you can say the term Space Marine has been around for a few years...

c/o Harley Stroh

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Feb 7, 2013

• #10

Even within RPGs, Traveller had Marines, but I can't recall if the were officially "Space" Marines. People sure called them that, though.

GW is putting an extra "s" in "asinine"...