Marvel and DC lose their specious trademark on the term Super Hero

[Aeson]

I had no idea super hero was trademarked. I guess I never thought about it. It seemed like an ubiquitous term. it's like Xerox or Kleenex.

Please tell me that people who went to law school and have degrees had to say Superbabies in a courtroom and on record.

 

[MGibster]

I had no idea super hero was trademarked. I guess I never thought about it. It seemed like an ubiquitous term. it's like Xerox or Kleenex.

Please tell me that people who went to law school and have degrees had to say Superbabies in a courtroom and on record.

Strangely enough I knew Marvel and DC shared a joint trademark because one of the superhero RPGs in the 80s mentioned it in their forward. Maybe Palladium Heroes?

 

[Aeson]

Strangely enough I knew Marvel and DC shared a joint trademark because one of the superhero RPGs in the 80s mentioned it in their forward. Maybe Palladium Heroes?

I'm gonna have to check that out. I have Heroes Unlimited.

 

[Umbran]

I don’t really recall Nick Fury having a document saying metahumans. Perhaps that’s a clue? Superhero is by far the stronger term.

He's talking about what the document would have said, not what they showed us on the screen.

"Superhero" is a more appealing marketing term. But military documents aren't about using language that appeals to the man on the street. They'd call them, "Individuals with Extreme Abilities" or something similarly clunky that turns into a bad acronym.

 

[MarkB]

He's talking about what the document would have said, not what they showed us on the screen.

Not that "metahumans" is any better a fit, given that only two out of the original six Avengers are humans with enhanced abilities.

 

[Umbran]

Not that "metahumans" is any better a fit, given that only two out of the original six Avengers are humans with enhanced abilities.

And another one isn't human, but Asgardian. So, the term would really only apply to Cap and Hulk.

 

[trappedslider]

Sweet. Now if only someone would challenge ownership of the genre / term cyberpunk.

What's going on with that one?

 

[Umbran]

What's going on with that one?

"In the United States, the term "Cyberpunk" is a registered trademark owned by CD Projekt SA who obtained it from the previous owner R. Talsorian Games Inc. who originally registered it for its tabletop role-playing game.R. Talsorian Games currently used the trademark under license from CD Projekt SA for the tabletop role-playing game.

Within the European Union, the "Cyberpunk" trademark is owned by two parties: CD Projekt SA for "games and online gaming services" (particularly for the video game adaptation of the former) and by Sony Music for use outside games."

-Wikipedia (Cyberpunk - Wikipedia)

 

[Nikosandros]

So, is SJ Games also using it under license? The Cyberpunk and Cyberpunk Adventures books for GURPS 3e are still for sales in PDF format.

 

[MGibster]

I'm gonna have to check that out. I have Heroes Unlimited.

Please do and let us know!