"Mycetic" Spore ?

[Lord-Boofhead]

those units that simply cannot survive walking across the field would have had an option.

stop playing on a billiard table.

[Halollet]

I wonder if Forgeworld is different enough from GW that they can get away from the lawyers and make a Spore. I sure hope so. Zoans really need them.

[FlangeNabber]

I'm sorry but how does the Chapter House case have a bearing on GW including or not including the spore among other models?

I can understand them not wanting third parties to produce competing products but this is the real world we are in, why would GW remove a unit simply because they can't stop someone else from making it? That's counter intuitive because it completely removes any chance of GW making money of said product in the first place. To me this just screams of GW acting like a spoiled child that hasn't gotten it's own way.

Maybe I've missed something, does the chapter house ruling actually give chapter house the IP rights to the model forcing GW to pay royalties to CH if they decided to produce a model also? I can't see any other logical reason for GW's actions outside of that.

[John Bower]

Please, don't try to apply logic to GW thinking, the 2 are mutually exclusive. They did it along with Guard and upcoming marine name changes because they are acting like a spoilt brat that didn't get their own way and are now throwing their toys out of the pram.

[Tynskel]

stop playing on a billiard table.

bwhahahahah! Yeah, I just moved and checked out the local game store. They do terrain right. There wasn't a single section of the table that did not have a piece of terrain on it.

[jonsgot]

I'm sorry but how does the Chapter House case have a bearing on GW including or not including the spore among other models?

I can understand them not wanting third parties to produce competing products but this is the real world we are in, why would GW remove a unit simply because they can't stop someone else from making it? That's counter intuitive because it completely removes any chance of GW making money of said product in the first place. To me this just screams of GW acting like a spoiled child that hasn't gotten it's own way.

Maybe I've missed something, does the chapter house ruling actually give chapter house the IP rights to the model forcing GW to pay royalties to CH if they decided to produce a model also? I can't see any other logical reason for GW's actions outside of that.

If I do a drawing of a flying car with the word hovercar underneath. I don't get rights to producing flying cars called the hovercar. If I make one I then own the trademark to it's production. If someone else makes one that looks the same and calls it a hovercar, they have broken my trade mark and I can sue them. Once Chapterhouse appeal is over it will be clear if GW's drawings and books give them rights to the model or if Chapterhouse have them because they made it 1st.
To be clear I'm not an I.P. expect and I have no view on who should win that case, I've just been following the trial.

[confoo22]

They did it along with Guard and upcoming marine name changes because they are acting like a spoilt brat that didn't get their own way and are now throwing their toys out of the pram.

How is that the act of a spoiled brat? It's actually a really smart business move to change the name to something that they can actually claim as their own IP with some strength behind it. Basically they're cutting off any ambiguous IP issues at the pass and making sure that they don't get savaged in the court of public opinion over these fights that are actually pretty standard fare in the world of copyright law.

[FlangeNabber]

Thanks Jonscot,
That does clarify it a little, so basically GW doesn't yet know which way the court might rule the chapter house appeal so has excluded the rules and hence models so that it doesn't have to react to the ruling if it's not in their favor.

confoo22 - I agree the name changes are smart business from an IP perspective, there's not doubt to that. What I am less sure of is whether they are a sound move from a marketing perspective.
Something GW do have with there current rangeis good brand recognition, which the name changes will at least in the near term reduce. Brand recognition is hard to put a price on but I'd say for GW is on a par with tight IP as no amount of IP can stop other companies making compatible models, where as good brand recognition will mean consumers are more likely to buy your product than a competing one.

Just my 2c

[confoo22]

confoo22 - I agree the name changes are smart business from an IP perspective, there's not doubt to that. What I am less sure of is whether they are a sound move from a marketing perspective.
Something GW do have with there current rangeis good brand recognition, which the name changes will at least in the near term reduce. Brand recognition is hard to put a price on but I'd say for GW is on a par with tight IP as no amount of IP can stop other companies making compatible models, where as good brand recognition will mean consumers are more likely to buy your product than a competing one.

Just my 2c

Agree fully that GW needs to better market themselves. I personally think they should push Kill Team as an entry skirmish level game in order to better get people hooked on the game, maybe release it as a stand alone physical product with stream lined rules or something, and not rely on people coming in through the base game or by video games or literature. However, as far as brand recognition goes I don't think changing the official name will hurt them so much since most people who play will still continue to refer to Adeptus Astartes as Space Marines and the new Astra Militarum as Imperial Guard, and most new players pick up the game in a store where the grey beards will (hopefully) still be playing and able to introduce them to it on a more personal level.

[Nid Bits]

Do you think they will release pod rules in the future? Either GW rules or forge world/Imperial Armory??