Mojang being sued by Bethesda

[Minox]

The problem is, Notch and Mojäng AB applied for a trademark regarding "Scrolls" and I'm guessing Bethesda is afraid that since "Elder Scrolls" contains "Scrolls" they themselves could face possible legal actions in the future regarding a trademark they've established way earlier than "Scrolls". It's a defence mechanism to prevent possible predictable issues.

If you think about it that way it all makes sense really.

 

[Celice]

The word "Scrolls" when attached to an RPG has been *hard-coded* into the minds of gamers as "Elder Scrolls game", much like "Warhammer" automatically evokes "Warhammer" or "Warhammer 40k" feelings despite being a "separate" word entirely.

I've been playing games for 15 years and 'scrolls' makes me think of things of paper. Not Morrowind or Oblivion. Or Daggerfal. Or Arena.

Their argument would be Enix trying to sue Dragon Age peeps, and everyone else who's used 'Dragon' before, because they want to secure 'Dragon Quest' on their own. It doesn't really differ.

 

[Jamstruth]

The problem is, Notch and Mojäng AB applied for a trademark regarding "Scrolls" and I'm guessing Bethesda is afraid that since "Elder Scrolls" contains "Scrolls" they themselves could face possible legal actions in the future regarding a trademark they've established way earlier than "Scrolls". It's a defence mechanism to prevent possible predictable issues.

If you think about it that way it all makes sense really.

Apart from since "Elder Scrolls" was already an existing Trademark any action would have no legal standing whatsoever and would be pointless, that and Notch isn't an asshat.

 

[Slyakin]

Bethesda is just worried that the powerhouse Mojang could bring them down.

I'd be worried too. If I had some of the best western RPGs known to man-kind, I'd want to defend them too.

 

[Jamstruth]

It's like naming a coke beverage Pepsi Coke rather than Pepsi Cola and expecting someone to avoid Copyright Claims. Don't be a clown here, you KNOW what they're doing. It's CLEARLY a game of words.

The difference there is that "Coke" only refers to 2 things and one of them is illegal. Scrolls is just a common word.

 

[ThePowerOutage]

Can we PLEASE shut up about that Notch guy? Lately his twitter became a "gaming bible" for some newsposters, and that guy's full of shit from what I read so-far.

It's blatantly obvious what Mojang wanted to do while putting "Scrolls" deliberatelly in the title and the suit has "Good Grounds". Elder SCROLLS have been on the market for years and it's CLEARLY linking to that title rather than being original and choosing a different name.

how is Scrolls linking to The Elder Scrolls other than them sharing one word?

and he made the blog post

Seriously man, f*ck his blog. Notch is no god and has 0 authority in this subject.

The word "Scrolls" when attached to an RPG has been *hard-coded* into the minds of gamers as "Elder Scrolls game", much like "Warhammer" automatically evokes "Warhammer" or "Warhammer 40k" feelings despite being a "separate" word entirely.

If you can't see that then, gee, you really don't know how marketing works.

It's like naming a coke beverage Pepsi Coke rather than Pepsi Cola and expecting someone to avoid Copyright Claims. Don't be a clown here, you KNOW what they're doing. It's CLEARLY a game of words.

Erma, why doesn't he have authority when Scrolls is made by his company? Seriously, stop the hate.

 

[tagzard]

Wow. Just wow.

 

[ferofax]

Seriously man, f*ck his blog. Notch is no god and has 0 authority in this subject.

The word "Scrolls" when attached to an RPG has been *hard-coded* into the minds of gamers as "Elder Scrolls game", much like "Warhammer" automatically evokes "Warhammer" or "Warhammer 40k" feelings despite being a "separate" word entirely.

If you can't see that then, gee, you really don't know how marketing works.

It's like naming a coke beverage Pepsi Coke rather than Pepsi Cola and expecting someone to avoid Copyright Claims. Don't be a clown here, you KNOW what they're doing. It's CLEARLY a game of words.

first off, the word "Scrolls" is a generic word and is not unique. it means a bunch of rolled paper/parchment. so does "Warhammer", which means just that, a hefty blunt hammer of war. now Pepsi definitely is not a generic word, and by itself means shit. but being as there's a popular beverage with the name "Pepsi", it is automatically associated as meaning just that.

if that's the entire point you're trying to make in your analogy, then it fails, miserably. so does Bethesda's lawyers. they're just being dicks, but mostly because copyright/patent laws allow them to. i'm not saying it's entirely baseless, but still a pretty dick move.

 

[chyyran]

Seriously man, f*ck his blog. Notch is no god and has 0 authority in this subject.

The word "Scrolls" when attached to an RPG has been *hard-coded* into the minds of gamers as "Elder Scrolls game", much like "Warhammer" automatically evokes "Warhammer" or "Warhammer 40k" feelings despite being a "separate" word entirely.

If you can't see that then, gee, you really don't know how marketing works.

It's like naming a coke beverage Pepsi Coke rather than Pepsi Cola and expecting someone to avoid Copyright Claims. Don't be a clown here, you KNOW what they're doing. It's CLEARLY a game of words.

So, according to your logic, Apple should be suing Motts because they make "Mott's Original Apple Sauce", or McDonalds should be suing any guy who has a family business called "McDonalds".

Also, Scrolls isn't even an RPG game, so half of your argument is invalid.

 

[MEGAMANTROTSKY]

The word "Scrolls" when attached to an RPG has been *hard-coded* into the minds of gamers as "Elder Scrolls game", much like "Warhammer" automatically evokes "Warhammer" or "Warhammer 40k" feelings despite being a "separate" word entirely.

How interesting. I never knew that Bethesda had legal grounds for laying claim to psychological associations regarding the images that words conjure in our heads!

Your position is indefensible, ridiculous, and to be blunt, stupid.

Edit: So is Bethesda's. Using such tawdry logic, Nintendo would have similar, and baseless, grounds for suing the developer of "Super Meat Boy", given that one of their own franchises has the word "Super" written on most of the installments. "Super" and "Mario" are not inextricably linked in every context. Nor are "Elder" and "Scrolls".

 

[eggsample]

5crolls

Sorry, I had to write.
5 or S.

 

[R4Liam]

If anything this has given Mojang more publicity; I had no idea they were making a game called Scrolls. Now it has got me interested and if it is as good quality as Minecraft I will definitely support it. Honestly, it's one word which has no effect on Bethesda's games. I for one have never called the Elder Scrolls games 'scrolls', I have always refferred to them by Oblivion or Skyrim etc.

You don't see Activision sue the makers of Call of Duraz for having OMG TWO words similar to their monster brand. There is no reason Mojang should be sued and Bethesda have just supplied Mojang with publicity despite how little the publicity is.

 

[FireGrey]

They can't own a word

 

[Falcon92]

They can't own a word

Now you can! Welcome to the lovely world of copyright. better start putting ?s and Âs on every word.

 

[Dangy]

Lol, Notch challenged the Bethesda guy to settle this via a match of Quake 3. Check Notch's twitter.

 

[CCNaru]

I hope Bethesda wins, I hate Minecraft

 

[machomuu]

I hope Bethesda wins, I hate Minecraft

Any particular reason or just because it's so popular?