TSR TSR3.5 Launches IndieGogo Campaign to "Stop" WotC

The latest in the TSR3 saga, which has gone quiet for a while, is a new IndieGoGo campaign launched to "stop Wizards of the Coast". They cite wrongful bullying of TSR, and refusal to answer requests that WotC show TSR "proof of their claims" (although the campaign page doesn't mention what those claims are).

The IndieGoGo campaign was launched yesterday and has so far raised $675 (at the time of writing).

The action TSR seeks is a "Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership" which is a court declaration about the status of something in dispute.

TSR has launched a campaign to stop Wizards of the Coast

Become a Champion of TSR and Support TSR’s campaign against Wizards of the Coast!

TSR is taking a stand against Wizards of the Coast (“WOTC”) and its wrongful bullying of TSR, our trademarks, and its public libeling and slander of all those who helped create TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and products.

Wizards of the Coast has continually bullied TSR regarding TSR’s legally owned Trademarks. Wizards of the Coast has refused to answer all of TSR's repeated requests that they show any proof of their claims. Wizards of the Coast has the vast resources behind them and is implying to bring them to bear down on TSR.

The new TSR suffered widespread pushback when it launched, which they blamed on WotC, claiming that they were under a "coordinated assault across various channels being mounted.... by [WotC]" The company announced itself earlier this year, having acquired the TSR trademark after the previous holder accidentally let it lapse. It was run by Ernie Gygax, Justin LaNasa, and Stephen Dinehart. After several weeks of controversy, the company split into two -- Wonderfilled (Stephen Dinehart), and TSR (Ernie Gygax and Justin LaNasa).

TSR - TSR3 Blames Widespread Pushback On WotC

In an unexpected turn of events, the primary individuals behind TSR3 have claimed the pushback they've received on social media and elsewhere was orchestrated by .... D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast (a company which has thus far remained completely silent on recent events). TSR3 is run by...

www.enworld.org

The page also indicates an intention to "fight to have WotC's legacy product disclaimer removed" from older products (that's the disclaimer on the older books available on DMs Guild which indicates that those books are products of their time) by claiming that the disclaimer portrays the creators of those older products as "as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products".

TSR will also Fight to Have the WOTC Legacy Disclaimer Removed

TSR is suing WOTC for Trademark Declaratory Judgement of Ownership . TSR will also pursue in the near future having WOTC remove the legacy content disclaimer placed on TSR based Dungeons & Dragons and other products, and retractions of any other libel and slander which alleges that racism and other heinous beliefs are incorporated into those products.

This disclaimer attempts to make a statement of fact argument, and therefore paints all of the writers, editors, artists and consumers of those products as supporting those alleged prejudices, stereotypes and bigotry, wrongfully claimed to be part of those products. This statement by Wizards of the Coast opens the possibility for the producers and players of these "Legacy Products" to face ridicule, and face the labeling as "bigots", "racists", "misogynists", and worse Cyber & Physical Attacks!

Wizards of the Coast legacy content disclaimer.

"We (Wizards) recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website does not reflect the values of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial, and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end".

TSR3's Justin LaNasa spoke about the campaign in a YouTube video.

TSR - Companies & Freelancers Distance Themselves From The New TSR

The new TSR (which I refer to as TSR3 to avoid confusion) has doubled down on its stance--which has been widely condemned online--via an ongoing series of tweets and replies from its TSR Games, Giantlands, and Dungeon Hobby Museum social media accounts (possibly operated by Justin LaNasa) in an...

www.enworld.org

 

[Maggan]

And it's over... for now...

Not too shabby for the ten minutes they must have put into that fundraiser.

I wonder if another fundraiser would bring in the same backers. Or are the flaming bridges finally toppling for nuTSR now? Probably not, it's on the next endeavour.

 

[Shakeshift]

When they got their two $1000 contributors, they came on the heels of each other so quickly I really do suspect that it was just Justin LaNasa donating to his own legal defense fund, trying to encourage others to also hit the $1000 donation tab by trying to instigate other people to also contribute. Justin was the main contributor to his own failed attempt at public office, and he tried doing it (sloppily) through a bunch of other 'contributors' who all happened to be Justin Lanasa under a variety of funny hats and name variations.

I honestly cannot imagine anyone donating $1000 to his poorly thought-out legal campaign, let alone finding multiple people willing to commit cognitive suicide in such close proximity of one another. More likely, it was Justin trying to stack the deck in his favor, and failing like he usually does. It strikes me as being more his speed to put money in his own guitar case, trying to encourage others to do so. That explains how his fundraiser ever made over $5000. $2000 (or less) in real donations sounds way more credible. He just doesn't have the popularity to succeed with this thing. Quite the opposite.

 

[CleverNickName]

So they've stopped WotC now then?

I was curious myself, so I went over to DriveThruRPG and checked. On the Store Page for one of their legacy products (CM1: Test of the Warlords) that same Legacy Content Disclaimer was still there, cheeky as ever. In bold italics, no less! The audacity!

So no, it's safe to conclude that they still haven't stopped WotC.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I was curious myself, so I went over to DriveThruRPG and checked. On the Store Page for one of their legacy products (CM1: Test of the Warlords) that same Legacy Content Disclaimer was still there, cheeky as ever. In bold italics, no less! The audacity!

So no, it's safe to conclude that they still haven't stopped WotC.

Stop you know nothing !! Brave reel TSR kept racist disclaimer from beein underlined!!11!!

-Justin LaNasa, tweeting in 20 minutes, probably.

 

[CleverNickName]

You know, I've followed and backed my fair share of Kickstarters, IGGs, GFMs, etc... This is the first time I see a fundraiser be DEAD SILENT leading up to their end date. Their last update was Jan 28th saying the lawsuit was cancelled (spoiler: it wasn't).

You'd think they'd be promoting this thing a bit before it ended.

The most recent post was 5 weeks ago, when someone typed out a string of popular anti-inclusion dog-whistles. Only one person commented on it, typing little more than a "yeah, what he said!" echo.

What a legacy.

So what happens now? What can people expect for their $5715? Well, from their IndieGoGo page: "When the battles are all said and done any leftover funds from this cause will be used to erect a memorial. In memory of all the original creators of the game Dungeon & Dragons at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva Wisconsin."

I'm pretty sure none of that is legally-binding, but I'm not a lawyer so I could be completely wrong about that. But anyway, it sounds like they are going to build a memorial in their museum (where only paying visitors can see it), and they will dedicate it to the memory of all the game's creators (three guesses as to whom will feature the most prominently). However, they will only do this once they have decided that "the battles" are over, and that can be weeks or decades from now.

 

[Shakeshift]

The most recent post was 5 weeks ago, when someone typed out a string of popular anti-inclusion dog-whistles. Only one person commented on it, typing little more than a "yeah, what he said!" echo.

What a legacy.

So what happens now? What can people expect for their $5715? Well, from their IndieGoGo page: "When the battles are all said and done any leftover funds from this cause will be used to erect a memorial. In memory of all the original creators of the game Dungeon & Dragons at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva Wisconsin."

I'm pretty sure none of that is legally-binding, but I'm not a lawyer so I could be completely wrong about that. But anyway, it sounds like they are going to build a memorial in their museum (where only paying visitors can see it), and they will dedicate it to the memory of all the game's creators (three guesses as to whom will feature the most prominently). However, they will only do this once they have decided that "the battles" are over, and that can be weeks or decades from now.

I'm sure Justin LaNasa's name will be prominently figured in the very front of ANY memorial stone they craft, as is his right.

After all, if he's truly behind the bulk of all of those multiple $1000 "donations" to the legal fund it's only fair that his name be prominently displayed. Much like his failed political career in North Carolina, you have to acknowledge your biggest financial supporter in retrospect. Namely.... yourself.

 

[Sacrosanct]

"When the battles are all said and done any leftover funds from this cause will be used to erect a memorial. In memory of all the original creators of the game Dungeon & Dragons at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva Wisconsin."

They are building a monument of Jim Ward!!!!

 

[JediSoth]

I'm sure Justin LaNasa's name will be prominently figured in the very front of ANY memorial stone they craft, as is his right.

After all, if he's truly behind the bulk of all of those multiple $1000 "donations" to the legal fund it's only fair that his name be prominently displayed. Much like his failed political career in North Carolina, you have to acknowledge your biggest financial supporter in retrospect. Namely.... yourself.

Excuse me, that's SIR Justin.

 

[Shakeshift]

Excuse me, that's SIR Justin.

I'm sure if you ask Justin Lanasa, he'll tell you AT LENGTH about the queen beknighting him. It happened on the same weekend that Gary Gygax told Justin that he was the true heir to Dungeons and Dragons, and that he was also the true owner of Star Frontiers.

Unfortunately, it was also the same weekend that the ghost pirate and the talking poodle explained to him in his drug-fueled haze that he was going to win the 2020 election for North Carolina State Senate by a landslide. After all, with such clever contributors like "Justin LaNass" and "Justin Lanaga" his attempts at covering his own tracks at contributing to his own campaign were arguably foolproof.

HOW did that running for public office go for him, again? I can't remember. Something about grits....

 

[CleverNickName]

OH MY GOSH GUYS, THEY DID IT. THEY ACTUALLY DID IT.

I just got my POD copies of "X12: Skarda's Mirror" and "X13: Crown of Ancient Glory" in the mail, and guess what wasn't anywhere to be seen on them? That's right, the Legacy Content disclaimer! It's not on the front cover, not on the back cover, not on the copyright page, not in the appendix! They actually stopped them! Take THAT, you so-called "wizards" of the quote-unquote "coast"!!!1

EDIT: Never mind. I was just informed that the Legacy Content disclaimer was never going to be printed on any of the print-on-demand products in the first place. And it never was going to be added to any of the electronic PDFs, either. It was only going to be on the purchase page of the website for these materials...nowhere else.

My bad. I guess I was just getting myself all worked up over nothing. I should really stop jumping to conclusions on things I know nothing about.

Spoiler