E. Gary Gygax Sr. May Have Had Another, More Recent Will?

[Jd Smith1]

A sizeable chunk of the estate is intellectual property rights. Kinda hard to light intangible objects on fire. I guess David Benioff and DB Weiss managed to do it, though.

Terry Prachett left instructions to the executor of his will that anything he was working on at the time of his death be destroyed. And they were. I don't believe it was by fire, but they certainly ceased to exist. And he earned far more than Gygax ever dreamed of.

 

[Nikosandros]

EDIT: Nevermind

 

[Deset Gled]

Terry Prachett left instructions to the executor of his will that anything he was working on at the time of his death be destroyed. And they were. I don't believe it was by fire, but they certainly ceased to exist. And he earned far more than Gygax ever dreamed of.

That's not what "intellectual property rights" means.

 

[Jd Smith1]

That's not what "intellectual property rights" means.

It does in the USA. He exercised his control over his own IP via the executor of his will.

 

[Umbran]

Well, she couldn't legally just burn it as it is evidence in an ongoing litigation.

I expect that's an incorrect classification. The materials of the estate would be assets, not evidence - the assets don't indicate anything, so they are not evidence of anything.

 

[Umbran]

That's not what "intellectual property rights" means.

The hard drive containing Terry Pratchett's unfinished work were run over by a steam roller at the opening of an exhibit on the man's works, at his explicit request. That IP is gone from the world.

Terry Pratchett's unfinished novels destroyed by steamroller

Unpublished works are lost for ever with crushing of computer hard drive – as the late fantasy novelist had instructed

www.theguardian.com

And he earned far more than Gygax ever dreamed of.

How much he earned really doesn't enter into it.

 

[Deset Gled]

It does in the USA. He exercised his control over his own IP via the executor of his will.

No, intellectual property rights refers to things like copyrights, trademarks, and ideas. For Pratchett, his IP would be his library of published works, including residual payments, adaptation rights, etc. For the current case of EGG, it most importantly refers to things like Greyhawk and movie rights that Gail had messy licensing issues with.

Also, Pratchett was not from the USA.

 

[Jd Smith1]

No, intellectual property rights refers to things like copyrights, trademarks, and ideas. For Pratchett, his IP would be his library of published works, including residual payments, adaptation rights, etc. For the current case of EGG, it most importantly refers to things like Greyhawk and movie rights that Gail had messy licensing issues with.

Also, Pratchett was not from the USA.

I am aware of what IP are; I hold numerous IP myself. But unfinished or unpublished work is also legally protected as intellectual property. And the key point is that at the heart of it, IP are simply property, suitable to be disposed of as the owner wishes.

Gygax was in the USA.

 

[Alzrius]

And as of the status conference two days ago, things are back to square one:

8:33 AM Case called. Attorney Joseph A Kromholz appeared by phone for Lucion Gygax, Attorney Jennifer M Gorn appeared by phone for Lucion Gygax, Attorney Theodore Nathan Johnson appeared by phone for Gail Carpenter Gygax, Attorney Steven A. Koch appeared by phone as personal representative.

Court questions if Atty Kromholz is substituting or working with Atty Gorn.

Atty Kromholz states he will be working with Atty Gorn.

Court questions status of the case.

Atty Koch states the settlement has fallen apart and defers to the court as to scheduling.

Discussion on scheduling. Court trial set for September 12, 2022 @ 8:30am, 2 days in person. Pretrial set for September 8, 2022 @ 9am.

Discovery deadline is 30 days before pretrial.

Witnesses to be exchanged 14 days before pretrial.

Expert witnesses to be filed 60 days prior to pretrial.

Court orders letter briefs to be filed 14 days prior to pretrial.

Atty Gorn questions if Atty Koch can have full authority as PR.

Atty Koch and Atty Johnson state there aren't any limitations on the domiciliary letters.

Atty Johnson questions what the issues are for trial.

Court gives response.

Discussion on what intellectual property there is.

Atty Gorn to prepare order.

8:57am Case adjourned.

The big news here is that the settlement talks apparently collapsed, and so this is now going to trial, set for September 12th. That will push this past two years from when the case was originally filed.

More minor are the developments that Luke has apparently retained a second attorney, one Joseph Kromholz, and the clarification that there are no limitations on the domiciliary letters (which, if I'm reading that right, are the legal authorization for someone to act as an estate's personal representative, i.e. executor) issued to Steven Koch, who is currently handling Gary's estate (compare this to the "limited powers" that were referenced back when the court said they'd appoint a personal representative back in August).

 

[Alzrius]

A minor update: on May 5th, the docket notes that Judge Phillip A. Koss will be the judge assigned to this case as of August 1st, 2022. No reason was given for the change.

This is the second time that the judge overseeing the case has changed; prior to this, the judge was Kristine E. Drettwan, who took over the case as of January 1st, 2021, from Judge David M. Reddy.