34 replies to this topic

[compl3x]

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Erling Andersen loved Fallout so much he started his own website where he offered Fallout-style posters for fans to download for free.

Bethesda did not appreciate this.

Andersen said he registered the domain name Fallout-posters.com last December, only to have Bethesda lawyers contact him weeks later asking for the website to be taken down and for the website name to be handed over.

"Now, I’m not out looking for trouble. I set up the website out of pure 'fandom', and the last thing I wanted – or expected – was to be threatened with a lawsuit by Bethesda," Andersen wrote. "What ****es me off isn’t the fact that they’re looking out for their trademark – as they have every right to do so. What I’m ****ed about are large companies abusing their monetary power, hiring global law firms to go after a fan online, immediately threating with a lawsuit.

"Had they had the slighest bit of PR-savyness, they would have shot me a quick personal mail asking me to remove the (supposed) infringing content – and preferrably sent me some nice Fallout-swag as a nice gesture (yes, I am that corrupt)."
Andersen has removed the posters from his website, but still remains the owner of the website name.
Game Informer has contacted Bethesda for comment.

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http://www.gameinfor...spx?PageIndex=2

[Smashing Pumpkin]

Is this guy tapped in the head? Send me some swag?

[+remixedcat]

Cmon now bethsoft was normally one of the ggg of the gaming industry... :-( this makes me sad

[Anaron]

I don't entirely agree with the way Bethesda handled this but they had the right to do what they did.

[watchthisspace]

Sad Bethesda

I hope the guy doesn't give the domain over. They shouldn't have any right to it.

[compl3x]

Anaron, on 18 April 2012 - 00:02, said:

I don't entirely agree with the way Bethesda handled this but they had the right to do what they did.

Yep. Threatening a lawsuit is overkill. Simply telling the guy to take them down would have sufficed.

[farmeunit]

He wasn't even selling them. I can see their point, but he's right. A nice letter would have sufficed.

[+Phouchg]

Well, stupidly dumb. I welcome Bethesda lawyer mutants to sue me out of my pants because of my current avatar here, too.

[nik louch]

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I don't entirely agree with the way Bethesda handled this but they had a legally binding obligation to do what they did.

Let me just alter what you said.

As I've said in many many other threads - if you coyright something, you are legally bound to protect that IP for the term of the copyright - you HAVE to. Else it could be used to cite a precedent in a court case. I don't like the system, but there it is...

[+remixedcat]

Instead of wasting money on ******* lawyers they should spend more money hiring a decent technical team to get rid of the bugs in their games.

[Lamp0]

nik louch, on 18 April 2012 - 00:43, said:

Let me just alter what you said.

As I've said in many many other threads - if you coyright something, you are legally bound to protect that IP for the term of the copyright - you HAVE to. Else it could be used to cite a precedent in a court case. I don't like the system, but there it is...

they don't HAVE to do anything, let alone be jerks about it.

[watchthisspace]

remixedcat, on 18 April 2012 - 00:52, said:

Instead of wasting money on ******* lawyers they should spend more money hiring a decent technical team to get rid of the bugs in their games.

No that's the modding communities job

[nik louch]

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they don't HAVE to do anything, let alone be jerks about it.

Legally, yes they do! You clearly have no understanding of copyright law.

[+Phouchg]

They do, indeed. Nowhere it requires steamrolling over small animals, though.

[spacer]

If he created the posters, didn't use official content, and wasn't selling anything based on the IP, then how was he in the wrong? People aren't allowed to create their own fiction/pictures/content based on their favorite games/TV/movies now? Well, there goes half the internet...