TSR TSR (2) Confirms TSR (3)'s Acquisition of Trademark (Updated!)

Jayson Elliot registered the TSR trademark back in 2011 and used it to launch Gygax Magazine along with Ernie and Luke Gygax. The two Gygax's left the company a few years later after Gary Gygax's (co-founder of TSR (1) back in the 1970s) widow, Gail Gygax, forced the closure of Gygax Magazine. Then, earlier this year, TSR (3) swooped in on the TSR trademark, after Jayson Elliot accidentally let it lapse, as TSR (2) confirms:

We have owned the TSR trademark since 2011. Last year, we missed a filing date, and another company registered it, though we are still using it in commerce. While we could win a lawsuit, we frankly don't have the money to litigate. So, we're licensing it back from them.

As a result, there are two companies now using the name TSR. You can tell when it's us because we're the only ones using the new logo.

They're opening a museum in Lake Geneva at the old TSR house, and we wish them success with it, it's important to celebrate the legacy that Gary Gygax created.

Ernie Gygax, formerly of TSR (1) under Gary Gygax, then working with Jayson Elliot as part of TSR (2), is one of the founders of of TSR (3), and confirmed in his (now infamous) interview --

The other TSR is a licensee because [Jayson Elliot] let it lapse. But he had absolutely ... love for the game and the products. There was no reason to say 'oh you've screwed up, oh it's all ours, ha ha ha ha!' Instead, Justin [LaNasa] came to him and said ... we love that you're doing Top Secret things, we have a much broader goal for the whole thing. But there's no reason for you to stop or even have any troubles. Justin said, I'll take care of the paperwork, you just give me $10 a year, and you put out all this love for old school gaming that you can. And we appreciate that you were there to try and pick up things, and you produced Gygax Magazine, for in its time that you're also working on a game that you love to play ... because Top Secret was Jayson's love, as a young man.

TSR (2), still run by Jayson Elliot, publishes Top Secret, and is not connected to TSR (3) other than now having to license it’s own name from them. TSR (3) has also registered the trademark to Star Frontiers, a game owned by and still currently sold by D&D-owner WotC.

In other news the GYGAX trademark appears to have lapsed.

UPDATE! TSR (2) has decided NOT to license its own name from TSR (3):

Update to our earlier tweet - we will NOT be licensing anything from the new company claiming rights to the TSR logos. We are not working with them in any fashion.

 

[Nikosandros]

... meanwhile there are people (on a certain "site") who are lambasting TSR 3 for being woke...

 

[Retreater]

Perhaps we should refer to them as 3SR?

 

[NerdyBird]

Huh. Did some thinking and found I could not care less about this.

 

[Sacrosanct]

... meanwhile there are people (on a certain "site") who are lambasting TSR 3 for being woke...

I saw that. It's crazy. I mean, one of them has called Benoist (a mod on that very site) for being "woke".

"You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means."

that's why I made the comment earlier about how TSR is screwed, because they managed to alienate everyone by flip flopping so badly. I mean, yesterday they made a FB post about being inclusive, and literally an hour later made another post that directly countered the first.

 

[Charlaquin]

Paladins in fantasy are inspired by many, not all real life paladins that did just that.

Remember, if you speak ill of the dead today and take a moral high horse position, it is likely your own actions will be judged below some future standard for humanity.

Good! The people of tomorrow should absolutely look critically at us today, and with the clarity of their greater experience recognize and acknowledge where we fell short! That’s how societies improve over generations.

The fact throughout human history all across the world we as a species that built multiple civilizations could not arrive even today on a universal standard means you can never judge the past by today's standards without being a hypocrite to future generations.

It means no such thing. We improve as a society by looking back at the mistakes of the past and doing our best to avoid repeating them. I sincerely hope that continues, and that future people learn from our mistakes today as we have learned from the mistakes of yesterday.

 

[Umbran]

I mean, yesterday they made a FB post about being inclusive, and literally an hour later made another post that directly countered the first.

They might be battling the problem of not having spent any time actually thinking about the issues as concerns for their company before making relevant comments in interviews. It is plausibly the behavior of people who have been watching TV and reading the interwebs, but having no meaningful interaction with others on the topic, and suddenly finding for all their tendency to use big words, everyone else has more cogent positions than they do.

 

[Neonchameleon]

TSR(3) is using copyrighted images in their products and marketing. Mostly logos on t-shirts and rebranded chesssx (not sure who’s) dice as “TSR” dice. FYI.

It’s the same folks from a different business. The TSR.games page leads to that store.

View attachment 138779View attachment 138780

Oof. I didn't recognise a couple of those logos. For those wondering how blatant things were here are the original TSRs's artwork. The only actual difference I see is that TSR (3) missed the star on the hat of TSR's wizard.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

You're enjoying this lol.

Fair enough

TSR= They Suck Royally?

He is isn't he?

This is like some sort of parody at this point! What a circus!

 

[Sir Brennen]

TSR(3) is using copyrighted images in their products and marketing. Mostly logos on t-shirts and rebranded chesssx (not sure who’s) dice as “TSR” dice. FYI.

It’s the same folks from a different business. The TSR.games page leads to that store.

I'm not sure who owns what at this point, but seems like some of that product might invite litigation, or at least cease and desists, from WotC, Chessex and Jr's own step-mother (again).

If I sell my car to someone, I don't expect to be able to go over to the new owner's house and drive it anytime I want because I used to own it. But that seems to be how nuTSR (et al) think all this works.

 

[Neonchameleon]

If I sell my car to someone, I don't expect to be able to go over to the new owner's house and drive it anytime I want because I used to own it. But that seems to be how nuTSR (et al) think all this works.

It's not even that. Ernie didn't sell anyone to anything. His dad lost TSR to Lorraine Williams. More than ten years later it was sold to WotC (and the dragon logo dates to the 90s I think so after his dad had it).