TSR TSR3.5 Launches IndieGogo Campaign to "Stop" WotC

The latest in the TSR3 saga, which has gone quiet for a while, is a new IndieGoGo campaign launched to "stop Wizards of the Coast". They cite wrongful bullying of TSR, and refusal to answer requests that WotC show TSR "proof of their claims" (although the campaign page doesn't mention what those claims are).

The IndieGoGo campaign was launched yesterday and has so far raised $675 (at the time of writing).

The action TSR seeks is a "Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership" which is a court declaration about the status of something in dispute.

TSR has launched a campaign to stop Wizards of the Coast

Become a Champion of TSR and Support TSR’s campaign against Wizards of the Coast!

TSR is taking a stand against Wizards of the Coast (“WOTC”) and its wrongful bullying of TSR, our trademarks, and its public libeling and slander of all those who helped create TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and products.

Wizards of the Coast has continually bullied TSR regarding TSR’s legally owned Trademarks. Wizards of the Coast has refused to answer all of TSR's repeated requests that they show any proof of their claims. Wizards of the Coast has the vast resources behind them and is implying to bring them to bear down on TSR.

The new TSR suffered widespread pushback when it launched, which they blamed on WotC, claiming that they were under a "coordinated assault across various channels being mounted.... by [WotC]" The company announced itself earlier this year, having acquired the TSR trademark after the previous holder accidentally let it lapse. It was run by Ernie Gygax, Justin LaNasa, and Stephen Dinehart. After several weeks of controversy, the company split into two -- Wonderfilled (Stephen Dinehart), and TSR (Ernie Gygax and Justin LaNasa).

TSR - TSR3 Blames Widespread Pushback On WotC

In an unexpected turn of events, the primary individuals behind TSR3 have claimed the pushback they've received on social media and elsewhere was orchestrated by .... D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast (a company which has thus far remained completely silent on recent events). TSR3 is run by...

www.enworld.org

The page also indicates an intention to "fight to have WotC's legacy product disclaimer removed" from older products (that's the disclaimer on the older books available on DMs Guild which indicates that those books are products of their time) by claiming that the disclaimer portrays the creators of those older products as "as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products".

TSR will also Fight to Have the WOTC Legacy Disclaimer Removed

TSR is suing WOTC for Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership . TSR will also pursue in the near future having WOTC remove the legacy content disclaimer placed on TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and other products, and retractions of any other libel and slander which alleges that racism and other heinous beliefs are incorporated into those products.

This disclaimer attempts to make a statement of fact argument, and therefore paints all of the writers, editors, artists and consumers of those products as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products. This statement by Wizards of the Coast opens the possibility for the producers and players of these "Legacy Products" to face ridicule, and face the labeling as "bigots", "racists", "misogynists", and worse Cyber & Physical Attacks!

Wizards of the Coast legacy content disclaimer.

"We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial, and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end".

TSR3's Justin LaNasa spoke about the campaign in a YouTube video.

TSR - Companies & Freelancers Distance Themselves From The New TSR

The new TSR (which I refer to as TSR3 to avoid confusion) has doubled down on its stance--which has been widely condemned online--via an ongoing series of tweets and replies from its TSR Games, Giantlands, and Dungeon Hobby Museum social media accounts (possibly operated by Justin LaNasa) in an...

www.enworld.org

 

[Umbran]

Never attribute to cunning and strategy what can easily be attributed to stupidity and ignorance.

... and greed. Don't forget greed!

 

[Henadic Theologian]

His arguments hold no water at all. I'm a "grognard." My favorite edition is still 1e (with some 2e elements). I was also playing back in the early days. Nothing in WotC's disclaimer is calling me a bigot. Nothing. And I'd posit that people who aren't bigots wouldn't assume they are being called that by the disclaimer either.

If Justin doesn't want to be called a bigot or misogynist, how about stop doing bigoted or misogynistic things, like forcing female employees to have a bikini wrestling match. Just a thought.

That is circular logic.

Honestly I doubt the case will win, although hope it does, because it doesn't seem to have any of the writers involved and they are the ones slander by the disclaimer.

 

[Jer]

One element of all this that I find confusing is the Star Frontiers: New Genesis release. For those that don't know, Michael announced that the first printing of this went on sale at the brick-and-mortar store/museum on 10/13 and immediately sold out. It went straight from being "coming soon" to "sold out" on the website. Michael also refused to answer questions about how many copies were sold, and TSR has never commented on things like page length, authors, ISBN, or any other details about the book. This lead to some people questioning whether it was real. TSR responded to those rumors by adding some photos on their website. The pics show a really short, spiral bound book like you could get made at Staples.

I did not know about this so I went to take a look. The images they've posted do look more like a prototype printing than a finished product. But they included a character sheet as one of the images and the character sheet is pure 3e era OGL d20.

Which means that it could very well be that their "revamp" of Star Frontiers is taken entirely from the d20 Modern SRD, making this all even more hilariously weird.

(I suspect that they threw together something to have a "product" that they've sold because they think it makes their case stronger having actually sold something with the name on it. But with Wizards already selling Star Frontiers products on DriveThru to use the analogy @Snarf Zagyg used this seems like someone selling something called "Coca-Cola" in front of their office building for a day and claiming that means they have rights to the name and formula for Coke. Really weird.)

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Honestly I doubt the case will win, although hope it does, because it doesn't seem to have any of the writers involved and they are the ones slander by the disclaimer.

1. It's not slander. Slander is oral, not written.

2. It's not libel, either. It's more complicated to explain, but it's not.

3. The case doesn't claim that it is libel (again, because it's not).

4. Even if they win the case (they won't), it will have no bearing on the disclaimers.


Near as I can tell, this is the theory that they are operating under-

1. File a declaratory action.

2. Get a court to declare that Hasbro (through its subsidiary, WoTC) does not own certain specific marks, including the Lizard, slanted TSR, and Star Frontiers marks, as well as not owning the copyright in the images used in those marks.

3. ?????????????????????

4. PROFIT!!!!!!!!!! Because WoTC will be forced to give TSR(cubed) all its bases, and then TSR(cubed) will own everything, forever, and will sell all the cool products and won't have any stupid disclaimers, because REASONS!


Sure! Why not?

 

[Sacrosanct]

That is circular logic.

nope

Honestly I doubt the case will win, although hope it does, because it doesn't seem to have any of the writers involved and they are the ones slander by the disclaimer.

and nope again. Justin never created any of that material from original TSR, so in what way is he being slandered for WOTC having a disclaimer that says "when this material was created, it reflected the time and there were problematic things with it."?

That disclaimer has nothing to do with Justin or Michael (the only two actual people officially part of nuTSR that I know of) no matter how much they'd love to rewrite history and have folks believe they were part of the early TSR creative team.

 

[DemoMonkey]

Launching an ill-considered, frivolous, over-reaching lawsuit is probably the most authentically "TSR" thing these chucklehumps have actually done.

 

[kenmarable]

I doubt that. The thing has 7 backers at the moment and has "raised" $675.

But only 5 backers have selected "perks," and those perks add up to only $70.

My suspicion is there are two remaining backers: one rube who pitched in $5 without selecting a perk, and a $600 "contribution" that's essentially the equivalent of the lonely 20-dollar-bill that a street musician tosses in their own guitar case.

You might not be far off. Considering in his failed run for office, Justin LaNasa's top donor was Justin Lavasa...

 

[Henadic Theologian]

nope

and nope again. Justin never created any of that material from original TSR, so in what way is he being slandered for WOTC having a disclaimer that says "when this material was created, it reflected the time and there were problematic things with it."?

That disclaimer has nothing to do with Justin or Michael (the only two actual people officially part of nuTSR that I know of) no matter how much they'd love to rewrite history and have folks believe they were part of the early TSR creative team.

Yeah that's my point, they need actual writers and artists, at least 1, for this to go anywhere and they don't appear to have any (likely because of the fear that WotC and its allies will destroy their careers).

 

[Sacrosanct]

When one looks at the OGL or SRD, and sees just how protective WoTC is of the term "Dungeons&Dragons", it should be of no surprise that they would react when LaNasa is using that phrase to promote their "products" and business. Then add to that LaNassa's use of copywrited imagery, and it's a no brainer.

If they just used the TSR trademark and didn't use any of the original images, and stayed away from the term "D&D" for promotions, I believe they could have avoided all of this.

What surprises me is the vitriol so many have for WotC. Like them or not, Wizards saved D&D. Atkinson saved D&D. No one else was going to. Without them, the game would most likely not exist. It certainly wouldn't become as mainstream as it's become. Those are all good things.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

likely because of the fear that WotC and its allies will destroy their careers

Somehow....I think this is not the reason why they dont have real designers working for them.

Just a hunch, y'know....