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Colen
Senior Member
Lone Wolf Staff
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,690

Old February 11th, 2010, 09:23 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frankenskid View Post
At the same time you don't see anyone going around telling forums and such to stop using those terms to describe something. You should just enjoy the free advertising when people relate your name with something to build an army.
I understand this sentiment, but if we acted like this, here is what could happen:

1) We stop trying to educate people about the Army Builder trademark because we want the free publicity.
2) Several free "Army Builder" programs spring up for various game systems.
3) A year or two later, a commercial program is released called the "XYZGame Army Builder", which is easily confused with our own software.

Because we didn't take action at points 1 and 2, we've opened ourselves up for other, commercial, companies to use the Army Builder name in their products. That means that they are taking the hard work we've been doing for the last 12 years, and using it to sell their own products.

Think about it another way - let's say you were going to create your own miniatures game system, and you wanted to call it a "Warhammer Miniatures Game" or a "Warmachine Miniatures Game". Even if you think that would be ok, Games Workshop or Privateer Press or whoever would be required to step in and stop you, or they could lose their trademarks to those brand names. Once they lose the trademarks, anyone could start making (and selling) a "Warhammer Miniatures Game" and they wouldn't be able to stop them.

Game companies don't enjoy having to write and send out letters like these, but it's the unfortunate reality of being in business. If they don't do this, they are at risk of competitors entering the market using the names that they have spent decades building up.
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