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Google pulls the curtain on a5teroids |
Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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Trent Gamblin said: But why is Atari the judge and jury? Do you have a link to Google's policy? The answer to your question is probably that Google doesn't want you to get sued and more importantly, they don't want to get sued. |
Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
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I didn't bother looking for their policy, but this is from the email. Quote: You may contact Atari, Inc. at <removed email address>. If Atari, Inc. contacts us specifically authorizing your app to be re-published, and your app does not otherwise violate theDeveloper Distribution Agreement and Content Policy, we will reinstate the app
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Neil Roy
Member #2,229
April 2002
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Luiji99 said: "Super Space Rock X-4 Fun Time Go!" OMG I burst out laughing at this. You simply HAVE to name it this, I am certain it will attract people more so than the other name! (still chuckling here) Edit: Just read the rest of the game name suggestions you made Luiji99, great ones, I had a good laugh. It's like "Pacman", I looked at the trademarks (USA has a searchable site where you can easily check them) and Namco Bandai doesn't trademark "Pacman", they trademarked "Pac-Man" in every case it is "Pac-Man". My game is called "Deluxe Pacman" so I am not changing the name. Look over any games Atari has listed on Google and put forth a request to have them removed due to trademarks. Thomas Fjellstrom said: Maybe its because its so easy for the companies to lose their trademarks. I dunno. I think you're right about that. I once heard many years ago by 3DRealms, while chatting on their forums a 3DRealms rep came into a conversation about something and told us that by law, they are forced to defend their trademarks or they will loose them. Something like that anyhow. --- |
Specter Phoenix
Member #1,425
July 2001
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Atari, lost their balls and back out of the game console business so now they want to keep their name by bitching about stupid things. Come on! A5teroids is free and nothing more than, well basically a tech demo to show what Allegro 5 is capable of doing. Love how the companies are more worried about free projects than they are about projects looking to land money.
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Thomas Fjellstrom
Member #476
June 2000
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Specter Phoenix said: Atari, lost their balls and back out of the game console business so now they want to keep their name by bitching about stupid things. If you want an interesting read, go look up the history of Atari. The company called Atari is not the original company. There is very little left of it, if anything. -- |
Specter Phoenix
Member #1,425
July 2001
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Yeah I'm aware of the history of Atari (talk about a head spin for all the company changes). Love how Bushnell is still there even with all the companies buying it and changing names left and right though.
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Luiji99
Member #12,254
September 2010
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Atari died and its identity was stolen. NiteHackr said: OMG I burst out laughing at this. You simply HAVE to name it this, I am certain it will attract people more so than the other name! (still chuckling here) Edit: Just read the rest of the game name suggestions you made Luiji99, great ones, I had a good laugh. Thanks. NiteHackr said: I think you're right about that. I once heard many years ago by 3DRealms, while chatting on their forums a 3DRealms rep came into a conversation about something and told us that by law, they are forced to defend their trademarks or they will loose them. Something like that anyhow. Yep. If you don't enforce your trademarks, they're automatically lost. In fact, in most jurisdictions if you don't use your trademark for more than five years you lose it, too. Trademarks are the least maintainable forms of data monopolization compared to patents and copyrights. Specter Phoenix said: Stuff about balls. Yeah, corporations are more likely to pick on free projects than commercial ones because commercial ones have money at stake and, thus, a much higher chance of taking it to the courts. Programming should be fun. That's why I hate Java. |
Thomas Fjellstrom
Member #476
June 2000
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Luiji99 said: Yep. If you don't enforce your trademarks, they're automatically lost. In fact, in most jurisdictions if you don't use your trademark for more than five years you lose it, too. Trademarks are the least maintainable forms of data monopolization compared to patents and copyrights. You can also lose the right to enforce your trademark if it becomes part of "the vernacular". That is it becomes a common term for many similar products. -- |
Luiji99
Member #12,254
September 2010
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Well, in reality enforcing your trademarks isn't an explicit requirement. It's an implicit requirement to prevent it from becoming the vernacular. Also, thank you for using that word. It was bothering me that I couldn't remember it. Programming should be fun. That's why I hate Java. |
Trent Gamblin
Member #261
April 2000
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If anyone doesn't have balls, it's Google. I had a similar issue with Youtube literally this week (or at most late last week.) I had a random stupid video I made in some video editing software with a really crappy rendition of the Super Mario Bros. theme playing. Some GERMAN company contacted Google saying it was their copyright (Nintendo IS Japanese right?) Google put ads on the video with the money going to this phoney company. I changed the music, still ads. I faxed Youtube (impossible to contact Google or any of their companies, the WORST) about it but so far they haven't done anything... Ok, I just looked it up, it was September 1st when I sent the fax, so over 2 weeks ago. I didn't get a response. So ya, Google has no balls whatsoever. I then removed the video...
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Luiji99
Member #12,254
September 2010
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It's true. Google lacks testicles. They've made this abundantly clear. Programming should be fun. That's why I hate Java. |
weapon_S
Member #7,859
October 2006
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That YouTube story is messed up. But the thing that strikes me the most of the A5steroids story, is that you are surprised |
Neil Walker
Member #210
April 2000
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I'm thinking of trademarking the name Scrolls Neil. wii:0356-1384-6687-2022, kart:3308-4806-6002. XBOX:chucklepie |
Tobias Dammers
Member #2,604
August 2002
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weapon_S said: But the thing that strikes me the most of the A5steroids story, is that you are surprised Indeed. I wonder how this could go unnoticed for as long as it did. It's obviously a very similar name, easy to be confused, and the products are really really similar, definitely in the same market. Every single requirement for a trademark violation case is met. --- |
Specter Phoenix
Member #1,425
July 2001
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The thing I keep finding funny is that according to the Allegro demos it is A5teroids, but several times I've seen it called A5steroids (find it funny because that is the only thing confusing me is which one it is). Either way I can't fathom how a person would confuse Asteroids (Atari) with A5teroids (way better graphics IMO). Though, I think the scientific community should go after Atari seeing as Asteroids were around way before Atari's game .
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Neil Roy
Member #2,229
April 2002
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"Meteor Shower" or perhaps "Meteor Shower Super Fun Go" I simply have to make a new game with a ridiculous name like that. --- |
Neil Walker
Member #210
April 2000
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NiteHackr said: "Meteor Shower Super Fun Go" You might get more downloads if you called it "Golden Shower Super Fun Go" Neil. wii:0356-1384-6687-2022, kart:3308-4806-6002. XBOX:chucklepie |
Neil Roy
Member #2,229
April 2002
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Neil Walker said: You might get more downloads if you called it "Golden Shower Super Fun Go" Hmmm, now you're giving me ideas! --- |
Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
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You could bisect the objects into two pieces, and call it HemiRoids! They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas. |
Neil Roy
Member #2,229
April 2002
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"Another Lame Lawsuit Evading Game Rename ..." I can't think of a word for "O". --- |
J-Gamer
Member #12,491
January 2011
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operation? (makes it sound official IMO) " There are plenty of wonderful ideas in The Bible, but God isn't one of them." - Derezo |
Luiji99
Member #12,254
September 2010
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I like games with titles like "South Park Tower Defense Let's Play Go," "Robot Unicorn Attack Evolution" and "Ultimate Robotoru Super Alpha Z." Programming should be fun. That's why I hate Java. |
alehbeer
Member #12,996
July 2011
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Now you get to have an advertisement for Allegro and "A5t3riods: Not Atarted, OR: Super Space Rock X-4 Fun Time Go!" on the Asteroids wiki page. Now every time someone wants to know more about asteroids, they get to find out about allegro!! In fact, the reference citation could even point to this thread.
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Tobias Dammers
Member #2,604
August 2002
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Make it reasonably satirical. Parodies are usually exempt from trademark and copyright: mocking something is not a trademark infringement. It'd have to be very clear that it's a parody though, doubt you'll get away with it. --- |
torhu
Member #2,727
September 2002
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Killer Comets on Steroids® |
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