White Wolf and author Nancy A. Collins sue Sony over Underworld

[jdavis]

That a noticeable number of people disagree even after reading the actual court papers, and that I'm still seeing commercials for Underworld seems to indicate that the case isn't quite so cut and dried.

That a noticable amount of people disagree with any post is a sure sign you are posting at EN World.

Also you have to look at the fact that reading the papers changed nobody's mind here it's all the same people on one side or the other. Everybody has already prejudged the thing so there is no use in discussing it anymore, minds are made up and there is no new news on the topic. I guess we'll just have to see what the courts decide.

 

[Mark Chance]

Also you have to look at the fact that reading the papers changed nobody's mind here it's all the same people on one side or the other.

Not so. When I initially read about the suit, my instinct was that WW was probably blowing smoke, especially given how incredibly derivative so much of the WoD really is. After reading the suit, I am now certain WW is blowing smoke.

 

[reapersaurus]

Well, there IS one major piece of information that can be used to help people make up their minds:

SEE THE MOVIE.
I will guarantee (again) that the movie will come out as advertised, and we can all see for ourselves how much we think it was or wasn't influenced by WW.

 

[Mark Chance]

Well, there IS one major piece of information that can be used to help people make up their minds:

SEE THE MOVIE.
I will guarantee (again) that the movie will come out as advertised, and we can all see for ourselves how much we think it was or wasn't influenced by WW.

Yeah, but then I'm out approximately $7 and lose 2 or so hours of my life. Doesn't seem like a fair trade.

 

[Umbran]

Doesn't seem like a fair trade.

Oh, but you have to factor in that those $7 and two hours effectively pays for hours and hours of fun arguing about it here at EN World! You gotta pay to play, y'know.

 

[Mark Chance]

Oh, but you have to factor in that those $7 and two hours effectively pays for hours and hours of fun arguing about it here at EN World! You gotta pay to play, y'know.

Nah. I'll just do what 95% of internet posters do: Talk out my arse.

 

[jdavis]

Yeah, but then I'm out approximately $7 and lose 2 or so hours of my life. Doesn't seem like a fair trade.

How can you say "I told you so" if you don't see the movie?..... Well I'm sure you could but most of us will probably risk it on the off chance that it might not suck the life out of our existance (it could be good, I mean the guy has directed before, he did a Megadeth video).

 

[Mark Chance]

How can you say "I told you so" if you don't see the movie?..... Well I'm sure you could but most of us will probably risk it on the off chance that it might not suck the life out of our existance (it could be good, I mean the guy has directed before, he did a Megadeth video).

Oh, well, if he did a Megadeth video....

I saw Megadeth open for Aerosmith many years ago. It was one of the worst opening acts I've ever seen, and I saw Gene Loves Jezebel. I almost died laughing when Megadeth did a cover of Anarchy in the U.K. right after claiming that their next song (the aforesaid cover) was the reason they were more than a band; they were a movement.

Buncha idjits.

 

[Vocenoctum]

Gotcha -- I only saw those papers after I went to the bigger thread on this subject. Now that I've seen them, I'm even less convinced that WW has a case. Indeed, I suspect it went down like this:

-Someone in WW saw previews of the movie, said, "No way! They're stealing our ideas! Sue!
-The WW legal team explained that you can't sue for theft of ideas, but rather for specific copying of passages, of trademarked terms, etc.
-The WW artists compelled their legal team to go forward with the lawsuit, based on ego and a vague sense of fair play rather than on the law.

I expect the case to get laughed out of court.
Daniel

After reading over the stuff, I'm thinking the video game had as much to do with the lawsuit as anything. I'm sure a vamp movie wouldn't be really that important, but a video game that directly competes with WW's video game (I believe being released soon enough) IS a hit to them directly.

 

[Ruined]

So, anyone care to clarify this? White Wolf posted the initial judge ruling, but I'm confusing all of the 'injunctions' and 'restraining orders'. Does it look like the movie will come out on time?

(I ask because I have advance tickets for next Monday )

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Judge J. Owen Forrester did not grant the requested temporary restraining order, citing a handful of mitigating circumstances, most notably the plaintiff's inability to post a bond in excess of ten million dollars. Judge Forrester, however, did call for an expedited discovery period (lasting 30 days) and enabled the plaintiffs to have a preliminary injunction hearing thereafter. Judge Forrester also outlined his policy on fairness in his courtroom and cautioned Sony Pictures against using "big business" delay tactics.

If the injunction is granted, defendants risk their ability to proliferate the Underworld brand in video, licenses and merchandising. "I believe our attorney presented a strong case yesterday," said Mike Tinney, President of White Wolf. "The Judge had done his homework, asked a lot of smart questions, and commented that plaintiffs appeared to have made a valid argument for copyright infringement. For a small company like White Wolf and an individual plaintiff like Ms. Collins, this acknowledgement is very heartening."