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Final issues for two of our friends
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Xaxaxe
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:58 pm 
 

That reminds me of a good one: TSR (supposedly) attempting to trademark the word "Nazi." I think it was for use in their Indiana Jones system.

However, I'm not sure this was ever more than just a gamer rumor that got out of control ... remember, this was loooooong before any of us ever jumped on the InterWebs. Information back in 1984 was often third-hand, at best.

Does anyone know the facts in this case? Urban legend or TSR stupidity?
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g026r
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:00 pm 
 

Wikipedia has this to say on the subject:
The company was the subject of an urban myth stating that it tried to trademark the term "Nazi". This was based on a supplement for the Indiana Jones RPG in which some figures were marked with "NAZI(tm)". This notation was in compliance with the list of trademarked character names supplied by Lucasfilm's legal department, specifically referring to a particular illustration of a Nazi on a cardboard game piece, which is legally trademarkable. (Marvel Comics also supplied a list of trademarked Marvel characters which included the term "NAZI(tm)".) Later references to the error would forget its origin and slowly morph into stories of TSR's trying to register such a trademark, possibly aided by TSR's own reputation late in its existence as a "trademark Nazi" company.


However, though it sounds plausible, they have no references to attest to the validity of this story.
  

Xaxaxe
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:03 pm 
 

Nice spot on that one. Yeah, it's sounding a little urban-legend-ish.
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sauromatian
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 9:14 pm 
 

Xaxaxe wrote:Does anyone know the facts in this case? Urban legend or TSR stupidity?


Yes the trademark symbol is there next to "nazi" on the counters. The defence I heard [not necessarily TSR's, but a fan's rationalization] was that the particular distinctive lettering used was trademarked, not the word itself.

The same cannot be said for the Golem Pokemon, whose name often appears with 'TM' in plain text. It's the nature of intellectual property that claims are made as broadly as possible, even if they would never stand in court.


Last edited by sauromatian on Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
  

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Post Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:55 am 
 

It also makes an appearance in the Murphy's Rules softcover compilation, though I think it's pushing it to claim Murphy's Rules as a source. :)


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Post Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:58 am 
 

And the new Dragon and Dungeon online mags will look like this ....

Image

Image


"... and may I remind you that this ain't the end. I can still kick some ass." - Tom Petty
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Xaxaxe
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Post Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:28 am 
 

Jesus wept.
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Theleb
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:46 am 
 

Got my final Dragon magazine in the mail today.  There's a nice nod to the Acaeum in the Mysteries Resolved article concerning module designations.  
It was bittersweet reading the last issue.  It's the end of an era in gaming, and the end of a personal subscription that has lasted for most of my life.  At least I can say I have a complete collection of Dragon (and Dungeon) magazines... and there are still many articles within both that I have not yet read.  Farewell fond friend...
  
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