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.

 

[pemerton]

Really? Why do you say that? Or are you just referring to wotc dnd? I'm very impressed by the things that people have been making the past few years

I'm referring to D&D, the game that carries the D&D trademark. And a bit more generally about games that orbit in the same space. I also think a lot of OSRish material, at least by second-hand accounts, seems rather karaoke-ish rather than doing much that's original. Kevin Crawford's work seems to be an exception, though I don't know how much it owes these days to D&D. And there are some creators whom I won't name, particularly not in this thread, who seemed to have some interesting ideas although other aspects of their personalities brought them unstuck.

But to me the more interesting stuff in RPGing these days seems to live outside the D&D sphere.

(I loved 4e D&D, but it wasn't really DIY in spirit. I think it was the pinnacle, to date, of what it might look like to try and commercialise indie design ideas.)

 

[Sir Brennen]

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...

Emphasis mine. Did this happen? I haven't seen any links/evidence of an apology in this thread. Did I miss something?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Emphasis mine. Did this happen? I haven't seen any links/evidence of an apology in this thread. Did I miss something?

Yeah, I think it was in that other thread. Its a step in the good direction, for once, but the road ahead will be very, very long to gain back what he lost in 3 days....

 

[Dausuul]

Emphasis mine. Did this happen? I haven't seen any links/evidence of an apology in this thread. Did I miss something?

I thought I saw one somewhere, but not sure when or in what context. And he may have de-apologized since.

(How does anyone ever keep track of conversations on Twitter, anyway? Is there some secret technique that is dark to those of us who are not regular users? Or do you just let the past fall into oblivion and respond to whatever hot take is on top at a given moment?)

 

[Dessert Nomad]

Emphasis mine. Did this happen? I haven't seen any links/evidence of an apology in this thread. Did I miss something?

He didn't offer anything remotely like a sincere apology, just a generic "I apologize to any and all communities, I didn't intent to offend anyone" - he doesn't even repudiate the transphobic statement that he made. A real apology would require that he acknowledge that what he said was wrong, and he very clearly doesn't do that, he clearly just wants the controversy to go away.

"Justin is right about this. I do apologize to any and all communities, and persons, I offended, I had no such intent & wish we could stop it because it's hurting people. My life has been colorful. I love to laugh and more so, I love to play #TTRPG. Happy Sunday!"

 

[Sacrosanct]

Quite frankly, at this point with the apologies and immediate reversals, or apologies from one while another partner is tweeting "you're disgusting" at the same time, I only see on way out for Ernie. Apologize sincerely, and immediately cut ties with Justin and the others.

 

[Bagpuss]

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'

Also /r/KotakuInAction which is going to likely bring more trouble.

 

[vecna00]

I think this has evolved from "Dumpster Fire" to "Complete Poopshow."

I'm not even going to attempt to find a gif for this. It would be terrible and probably against forum rules!

 

[billd91]

I think this has evolved from "Dumpster Fire" to "Complete Poopshow."

I'm not even going to attempt to find a gif for this. It would be terrible and probably against forum rules!

I know of several "pooping hippo" gifs that would be thematically appropriate.

 

[Maxperson]

Or perhaps the burning dumpster train crashes into a commercial composting business or waste management plant.

Hmmmm. Yes. The latter sounds right.

"You got your dumpster in my compost!"

"You got your compost on my dumpster!"

"TSR compost cups. Yuck!"