Notch Challenges Bethesda to Lawsuit Deathmatch

[AlphaEcho]

Bethesda's lawyers, (NOTE, LAWYERS) have no case. At all, Mojang are fine.

 

[Saelune]

Eh, sure, why not. Im not on Bethesda's side for this frivilous lawsuit, so why not do it like this. Im sure they have someone who could beat him anyways.

 

[Vrach]

"Remember that scene in Game of Thrones where Tyrion chose a trial by battle in the Eyrie?" he wrote on his blog [http://notch.tumblr.com/post/9038258448/hey-bethesda-lets-settle-this]. "Well, let's do that instead!"

"I challenge Bethesda to a game of Quake 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Quake-III-Arena-Pc/dp/B000ARB5MA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313593246&sr=8-1]. Three of our best warriors against three of your best warriors. We select one level, your select the other, we randomize the order. 20 minute matches, highest total frag count per team across both levels wins," he wrote. "If we win, you drop the lawsuit. If you win, we will change the name of Scrolls to something you're fine with."

Remember another scene from GoT?
"If we do it your way Kingslayer, you'll win. We're not doing it your way"

 

[Cain_Zeros]

option 1. play and lose -> they possibly lose business from the name being used

I really doubt that they would. No-one refers to the elder scrolls games as 'scrolls.' This lawsuit is just kinda exploitative, they don't really think that people are going to mistake one game for the other.

Not to mention how would a card game threaten the business of the Elder Scrolls games anyway? It's like saying Magic: The Gathering makes Heroes of Might and Magic lose business.

 

[Prosis]

This whole thing is stupid. Scrolls is a word. A freaking word.

What, so no video games will be allowed to use the word "Elder" in their name? Or roman numerals?

I could understand if Notch was naming his game Skyrim, as that is a unique word (to my understanding). Scrolls, however, is run of the mill fantasy.

I would laugh if Notch agrees to change the game's name, but switches it to Elder.

 

[ultrachicken]

Bethesda, don't be dicks. You don't own the word "scrolls," especially if it's used without context.

Notch, that is not how legal disputes are, or should be, settled. Don't be an idiot.

 

[Yumore]

If Bethesda still wants to call themselves a game studio they have to accept the challenge. If they don't I will loose all respect I had for them.

 

[CaptainLudicrous]

I once hear of a lawsuit decided by a game of rock paper scissors. One lawyer got advice from his 6 year old daughter. She said to pick paper, "Cuz evry on picks rock." The other lawyer went with rock, because he thought it was random either way.

 

[DJ Jack]

If this happens are we, the fans/people, allowed to bet on the proceedings? Where the winning bet is, let us say, a beta spot in Mojang upcoming game?

 

[Skops]

If this happens. I want spectator slots!

 

[UnmotivatedSlacker]

Well, as a cool and smarty pants PR move to rally gamers to him, Notch gets my applause.

You all, however, keep forgetting that all of this started because Notch tried to trademark the word Scrolls. Not "The Elder Scrolls", like Bethesda has. No. Just "Scrolls". Notch is playing the part of Tim Langdell and Bethesda the role of EA and DICE in this new season of trademark nonsense. Sued by Bethesda or not, Notch is a real troll for trying to trademark the word scrolls in the first place. This move only gives him enough coolness to go back to the neutral state after the dickish attempt to trademark a noun.

Remember, Notch tried to trademark the noun scrolls. How about you guys step back and think about why you are defending this in the first place and reign back the hypocrisy?

Because there has never been a video game with a single-word title before.

Umm...what? There are plenty of games with single-word titles throughout the years. A lot of them were common nouns too. Your statement is not only wrong, it's not even a valid argument. What does it matter if there has or hasn't been a game with a single-word title before? No company (indie or whatever) should be able to trademark a common noun for their exclusive use. A phrase, like "the elder scrolls" is now a specific combination of words that has quite a bigger argument to be able to trademark.

Just for the record, I do not side by companies bullying with power. Bethesda shouldn't be able to bully Mojang because "scrolls" is just a part of the name they trademarked, not the entirety of it. However, Mojang should not have to right to trademark scrolls just as Tim Langdell shouldn't have had the right to trademark edge. People bash him rightly so, but then turn around and applaud Notch when he is proceeding in the same manner (most likely without the same intent of lawsuit trolling, but that's another matter).

First of all, sarcasm, learn it. Second of all, Valve, Half-Life, Steam, Portal, and Source. These are all words trademarked by Valve and no one is giving them shit for it(http://www.valvesoftware.com/legal.html). So why are you giving Notch shit when he would be effectively doing the same thing? Notch is just trying to name his game Scrolls, he's not gonna go after people who decide to use that word in their title as well.

 

[Android2137]

Good idea, Notch, but if they agree, you'll obviously need to get it in writing so that Bethesda has a paper saying "Look! Look, Trademark Law, we actively protected our trademark! Happy now?" Aside from that bureaucratic nonsense, I'd say it'd be terrific if all lawsuits could be settled like this. Unfortunately, it's not realistic. Not everyone is willing to approach a lawsuit with the same amiability as Notch.

 

[punipunipyo]

I remembered something like that in a movie a long time ago... don't even remember what it was about, only the ending, where a few world leaders gathers around to decide territory split, by playing a game of risk... can't recall the movie title... but it was hella funny ending, world peace, but we still do war...

I think all lawsuits should be settled this way! for game companies over stupid things like "name for a tile"... shows how serous, but not fanatic about our job.

 

[furmaster3000]

Owyeah, this is how we should settle all wars and confrontation (If not only because I would walk away with EVERYTHING ^^)

 

[Nouw]

I feel that all video-game related legal quarrels should be dealt by playing video-games

 

[Scrustle]

Haha that's brilliant! I thought that once Todd Howard (or whoever is in charge as Bethesda) heard about this that they would just drop the case and not press charges, but this way sounds like much more fun!

 

[nYuknYuknYuk]

Funny thing is, Bethesda probably has a better chance of getting Notch to change the name if they accept the challenge. Their lawsuit is just grasping at straws.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

They should do this and sell tickets. I'd pay to see it. Then everyone wins.