TSR TSR (2) Confirms TSR (3)'s Acquisition of Trademark (Updated!)

Jayson Elliot registered the TSR trademark back in 2011 and used it to launch Gygax Magazine along with Ernie and Luke Gygax. The two Gygax's left the company a few years later after Gary Gygax's (co-founder of TSR (1) back in the 1970s) widow, Gail Gygax, forced the closure of Gygax Magazine. Then, earlier this year, TSR (3) swooped in on the TSR trademark, after Jayson Elliot accidentally let it lapse, as TSR (2) confirms:

We have owned the TSR trademark since 2011. Last year, we missed a filing date, and another company registered it, though we are still using it in commerce. While we could win a lawsuit, we frankly don't have the money to litigate. So, we're licensing it back from them.

As a result, there are two companies now using the name TSR. You can tell when it's us because we're the only ones using the new logo.

They're opening a museum in Lake Geneva at the old TSR house, and we wish them success with it, it's important to celebrate the legacy that Gary Gygax created.

Ernie Gygax, formerly of TSR (1) under Gary Gygax, then working with Jayson Elliot as part of TSR (2), is one of the founders of of TSR (3), and confirmed in his (now infamous) interview --

The other TSR is a licensee because [Jayson Elliot] let it lapse. But he had absolutely ... love for the game and the products. There was no reason to say 'oh you've screwed up, oh it's all ours, ha ha ha ha!' Instead, Justin [LaNasa] came to him and said ... we love that you're doing Top Secret things, we have a much broader goal for the whole thing. But there's no reason for you to stop or even have any troubles. Justin said, I'll take care of the paperwork, you just give me $10 a year, and you put out all this love for old school gaming that you can. And we appreciate that you were there to try and pick up things, and you produced Gygax Magazine, for in its time that you're also working on a game that you love to play ... because Top Secret was Jayson's love, as a young man.

TSR (2), still run by Jayson Elliot, publishes Top Secret, and is not connected to TSR (3) other than now having to license it’s own name from them. TSR (3) has also registered the trademark to Star Frontiers, a game owned by and still currently sold by D&D-owner WotC.

In other news the GYGAX trademark appears to have lapsed.

UPDATE! TSR (2) has decided NOT to license its own name from TSR (3):

Update to our earlier tweet - we will NOT be licensing anything from the new company claiming rights to the TSR logos. We are not working with them in any fashion.

 

[Catulle]

Real talk, can I just take a moment to vent here, but can I just say how freaking disheartening it is that to know that the vast majority of the inventors of the medium, the titans of the hobby I love, despise me for being different? It frakking sucks, y'all.

It's so god damn tiring just reading how my existence has caused fractures or how backlash at folks insulting people like me is ruining lives and products and everything... it's exhausting. To say nothing about contributing to moving something, anything forward, inches at a time. I hate it.

Y'all are good folx here, and I appreciate you. Well, most of you, anyway.

Look, it sucks at times, but over the broader course of things, we're winning. Despite what Rob Kuntz claims, equality isn't won yet, but it's closer now than its ever been and that at least is something. You exist and you're valid, as the infamous mock-latin indicates

 

[Mecheon]

Not that it really makes it any better as it's still naughty word intentions, but trolls will be drawn to whatever hot topic threads gain a lot of notice. Could very well be someone just poking at whatever nest they see. It was that account's first post.

The ENWorld links are being thrown about Reddit as a quick 'here's what's happening', so I'm not going to be surprised they're being thrown around.... Other places.

Mind on the Reddit side they're being thrown about r/hobbydrama because I posted "hoo boy stuff's hit the fan" on first wind of this, and then about three other people came in after me with the ENWorld link and i'm just sat here going 'hahaaaa its spread just beyond me'

Apparently D&D tiktok is full on about this as well and I'm just "Wait, there are D&D folks on tiktok?"

 

[Catulle]

The ENWorld links are being thrown about Reddit as a quick 'here's what's happening', so I'm not going to be surprised they're being thrown around.... Other places.

Mind on the Reddit side they're being thrown about r/hobbydrama because I posted "hoo boy stuff's hit the fan" on first wind of this, and then about three other people came in after me with the ENWorld link and i'm just sat here going 'hahaaaa its spread just beyond me'

Yeah, there is definitely a reactionary element to there being a conversation here, especially since unlike the former inside scoop on RPGs, the site ownership tends to lead rather than waiting for the userbase to ask permission to hold an appropriate discussion.

Consider it the price of success, if you will.

 

[darjr]

Shannon Appelcline has written a piece for Designers and Dragons. What ever else this thing is it's history.

 

[darjr]

The otherside blog

TSR's Not So Great Start

The Other Side Blog is a game design blog from Timothy S. Brannan

theotherside.timsbrannan.com

 

[DammitVictor]

My father didn't create any pop culture-changing games but I can see how it might feel like it belongs to his family.

The irony and the tragedy of all of this is that the things Ernie is doing right now are the exact reasons that TSR and D&D don't belong to his family anymore.

 

[Helldritch]

We have a say in French. Speak about it with good or bad, but speak about it. I am not certain that this was the kind of publicity 3SR wanted but this is what they get. At the same time time, EGG did offer his apologies. Are these too few too late? I do not know but at least they were offered. We should act as grown ups and see where this will lead and how it will develop. It is easy in front of a camera to blunder and say things you do not mean just as it is easy to quote something out of context and put a person in a bad light. I do not know EGG but if his friend says he's normally a nice man whose actions seems to contradict his current words, I would tend to give.the man a chance.

But boy is it a bad start...

 

[Gradine]

If I had to venture a guess, the Venn Diagram of "people who complain about woke mobs" and "people who have been spat on in public" are two circles that never, ever touch

 

[darjr]

So it looks like the business plan was to scoop up other peoples stuff and resell it at a premium using the logo?

From Captcorajus comments on his video.

Support Necrotic Gnome, Northwind Games, Frog God Games, among many other GREAT OSR creators. These guys aren't going to be creating anything. Their schtick is to contact existing creators, and offer the opportunity to put the trademark on their already existing product for a premium. I've seen the IMs/ emails. They got nothing, and over the last few days they've managed to turn themselves into a dumpster fire. Attacking Luke Gygax, threatening FB groups with lawsuits that have TSR in their name, and more. Nothing more will be coming from this channel on them.

 

[DammitVictor]

I expect him to continue speaking boldly and foolishly. But I am watching, and I hope he proves me wrong.

It's not my place to forgive him on behalf of other people, but it's not my place to hold their grudges for them, either. If he straightens up and flies right, I'll be happy to start talking about that instead.