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Message: <blockquote data-quote="woodelf" data-source="post: 3741702" data-attributes="member: 10201">While it's not inconceivable that Hasbro might have a problem, what we're doing is pretty clearly legal--we are not trading on their property (notice that we don't advertise the game as "Jenga--Only Better!" or use the image of Jenga), and we properly declaim their trademark the few times it shows up. So while they could certainly muscle us with the spendy lawyers (though, i've got a stubborn streak, and if i thought i could handle it myself, or get someone to represent us just for the winnings...), i doubt they'd have much of a case, or that it would get past initial filings. After all, if we can't make a Jenga-compatible game, then there go all the Ford-compatible oil filters. And the auto-parts manufacturers definitely have Hasbro trumped in biggitude.That said, what makes me leery of wider distribution is that it would mean getting into the book trade. That would likely mean larger print runs (and i'm not willing to incur any debt for this, so that might not be possible), and would definitely mean 90-day payment cycle.  And it's a much riskier move: book trade means returns. So, in the game trade, once we sell it to a distributor or retailer, it's their problem. If they order too much, they're stuck with it. In the book trade, we have to take stuff back. So what can happen, and has, is they order a ton of copies (after all, how many Borders or B&Ns are there? even if each one only wants 2 copies...), so we print a ton of copies. We ship them out, and we don't see a penny for 90days. And, at the end of those 90 days, we might get not a big check, but a small check and a pallet full of unsold books. Or, worse, they send us the big check. We deposit it--maybe spend it on our next print run. And then 6mo later, they return a pallet of unsold books, and demand their refund. Nonetheless, I'm actually starting to investigate Borders, and to find out if it's possible to sell through Amazon *without* discounting. We shall see.Update on Dread in PDF: i'm trying to have it reformatted by the end of next week, and seem to be on schedule. If that happens, look for it to appear in online venues shortly thereafeter.</blockquote>

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