TSR Now it’s WotC’s Turn: WotC Moves Against TSR3

I guess after you provoke somebody enough, they’ll eventually bite back. The company has begun trademark cancellation procedures against the newest TSR.

TSR3 briefly filed for a court declaration on Dec 7th as to their ownership of the TSR trademarks — with an IndieGoGo campaign to fund it — and then voluntarily dismissed it a couple of days later on Dec 9th.

This filing is dated Dec 6th, the day before TSR3 launched its campaign.

In WotC’s response, they cite fraud as one of the causes of action, alleging that TSR3 misled the trademark office in its original application.

Mike Dunford, on Twitter, breaks down the action.

TSR - TSR3.5 Voluntarily Dismisses Lawsuit

A lawsuit filed by TSR3 against D&D owners Wizards of the Coast a few days ago was voluntarily dismissed. Dismissal without prejudice means that the suit can be filed again. The suit lasted two days from the 7th to the 9th of December. The IndieGoGo fundraiser to fund it is still running...

www.enworld.org

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...

www.enworld.org

 

[Parmandur]

I would not be surprised if LaNasa wasn't honest with the lawyer when he had them file the suit in the first place. I suspect when a lawyer sees everything that's happened, 99% won't want to touch this with a 10ft pole. And that 1% will just do it for the lawyer fees knowing they will lose.

I'll bet the lawyer is like an old frat buddy or something, who dashed off something quick for him...

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah - what I meant by "quietly sell games" was "latch onto the legacy of TSR without Wizards noticing". They were absolutely trying to do that - I think they wanted to stay as far away from a fight with Wizards as possible while walking that line.

In contrast, TSR3 seems to want to pick as large a fight as possible without actually selling any games.

Yeah, they wanted to broadcast that they were making "Tactical Studies Rules" style old fashioned games, and were based in the Midwest and associated with the Gygax brothers. but they didn't cross any lines that WotC cared about, like "copyright" or "trade dress."

 

[Professor Murder]

No doubt TSR3 will play the victim on this on their own forums (Facebook, indieGogo etc.).

That's the grift folks. The court they are seeking is the court of public opinion. Stir up aggrieved base, milk em for money to "fight the SJWs", never actually do anything to fight said foes, and on and on and on.

 

[Parmandur]

As an aside: does anyone remember the last time that WotC had to go beyond a C&D to set boundaries with a third party company...? Because I sure don't.

 

[Nikosandros]

Yeah - what I meant by "quietly sell games" was "latch onto the legacy of TSR without Wizards noticing". They were absolutely trying to do that - I think they wanted to stay as far away from a fight with Wizards as possible while walking that line.

In contrast, TSR3 seems to want to pick as large a fight as possible without actually selling any games.

I agree. I bought Gygax magazine while it existed and even though I liked it, I was annoyed by the company name being TSR. Still, nothing even comparable to the fraud being perpetrated here.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I would not be surprised if LaNasa wasn't honest with the lawyer when he had them file the suit in the first place. I suspect when a lawyer sees everything that's happened, 99% won't want to touch this with a 10ft pole. And that 1% will just do it for the lawyer fees knowing they will lose.

Eh. They better ask for a REALLY large retainer, upfront.

I have seen nothing to date that indicates these individuals could fund real litigation against a deep-pocketed company ... and that's assuming that they had valid claims.

 

[Charlaquin]

In the era of social capitol, attention is profit, and they’re definitely succeeding in getting attention. Their mistake isn’t lacking a plan, it’s that their plan is to get social capitol by being a nuisance to an entity with much more capitol - both social and fiscal.

 

[Charlaquin]

TSR 3.5? The last time I looked, there was TSR3 only, lol.

The .5 was added when they broke up with whoever or whatever Wonderfilled is.

 

[CleverNickName]

The .5 was added when they broke up with whoever or whatever Wonderfilled is.

Shoot, I've been using the wrong acronym.
I should have been writing it as TSR³² all this time.

 

[billd91]

Yeah - what I meant by "quietly sell games" was "latch onto the legacy of TSR without Wizards noticing". They were absolutely trying to do that - I think they wanted to stay as far away from a fight with Wizards as possible while walking that line.

I'd agree, and I'd say they were succeeding reasonably well.

In contrast, TSR3 seems to want to pick as large a fight as possible without actually selling any games.

Who needs to sell games when you can gin up a culture war crusade?