Re: BattleTech PBeM Development Group

From: wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca (john woolsey 9209 U)

Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 17:09:40 +0000

In article <9211131043.AA00303@fccn01.fccn.pt> bc@fccn01.fccn.pt (Luis Miguel Sequeira) writes:
>	Matt (BURGESMW@cnsvax.uwec.edu) on article
><1992Nov12.140512.2307@cnsvax.uwec.edu> writes:
>>I don't know anything about BATTLETECH except that I believe FASA
>>supported the creation of it.
>
>	The question which arises is a legal one. By creating a PBeM
>based on the BattleTech setting, even a free one, without any idea on
>making profit with the game, aren't we violating any copyrights or
>other legal protecting matters belonging to FASA?
If the game is free it is difficult to sue. This is because you usually end
up sueing for profits, and there aren't any. Basically all they can do is
shut you down. This is what I have heard anyways. I wouldn't ask FASA about
the legal rights they are not impartial. Go talk to a lawer first.
>
>	This could lead to the development to a PBeM on a "clone
>world" without any mention to FASA's BattleTech, if no other options
>were available.
Why not. Most of the art in the orriginal BattleTech books were photo-copies
out of RoboTech. All of the orriginal mechs also sucked because they
attempted to emulate the mechs in RoboTech, which according the battleTech
equations of constructability didn't work at all. For example a RifleMan is
really a Radar X, and cannot fire all of its weapons at the same time
without risking explosion. What a good mech design :-)
>
>	1) Does anyone know if FASA has Internet capability, or some
>other form to be contacted (besides snail mail or phone)?
They have no way of connecting, and they do not read this group for sure.
>
>	2) In that case, and as living in Portugal, Europe
>(overseas!), can anyone ask a representative of FASA about this
>matters?
Sueing out of the country is very difficult if not impossible. Why do you
think FASA got away with ripping off RoboTech.
>
>	If not, and if enough people are still interested in
>developing a BattleTech PBeM, I'll write FASA myself and wait for an
>answer (it takes at least one month to get snail mail twice across the
>Atlantic). I've heard from my friend that they are really a bunch of
>nice guys, but you never know...
They threatened to Sue StarTrek silly if they copied anything from the games
that they produced for them in a new version. StarTrek cut their contract
because they kept writing things for the StarTrek universe without asking if
it was okay, and eventually the producers of StarTrek got tired of the two
inconsistent universes.

References

BattleTech PBeM Development Group
bc@fccn01.fccn.pt (Luis Miguel Sequeira)
Fri, 13 Nov 1992 09:45:32 +0000