[Fox]

Master O, on 30 May 2019 - 04:53 AM, said:

Ion Maiden devs:

Is this lawsuit going to significantly delay the full release for Ion Maiden?

It shouldn't.

[Jimmy]

Sledgehammer, on 30 May 2019 - 03:14 AM, said:

American copyright system is really bullshit. I guess if Guilty Gear wasn't Japanese game Iron Maiden and other bands would sue the series to death because it has shitton of heavy metal references including Iron Maiden (and by saying shitton I really mean it).

If I ever bother with Iron Maiden stuff I will pirate it and I hope they lose the law suit. Putting simple references in games should not be prohibited by the law in America or around the world.

This is a civil suit over trademarks, not copyright. You can sue anyone for anything, it doesn't make it a legitimate claim. This is a frivolous lawsuit by the company that handles the band's merchandising, not the band itself. This actually happened with Metallica a few years ago. Their merchandiser sued a tribute band, and Metallica didn't even know about it until someone told Lars on Twitter or something. The band made them drop the lawsuit.

Iron Maiden could do the same.

[Master O]

Sledgehammer, on 30 May 2019 - 03:14 AM, said:

American copyright system is really bullshit. I guess if Guilty Gear wasn't Japanese game Iron Maiden and other bands would sue the series to death because it has shitton of heavy metal references including Iron Maiden (and by saying shitton I really mean it).

If I ever bother with Iron Maiden stuff I will pirate it and I hope they lose the law suit. Putting simple references in games should not be prohibited by the law in America or around the world.

In that vein, I'm more surprised no band has ever gone after the creator of the manga / comic Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, which nakedly steals band names and song titles from hundreds of different bands.

Ion Maiden is not even remotely the worst "offender" here.

[Sledgehammer]

Master O, on 30 May 2019 - 06:52 AM, said:

In that vein, I'm more surprised no band has ever gone after the creator of the manga / comic Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, which nakedly steals band names and song titles from hundreds of different bands.

They have no power in Japan since we don't have bullshit copyright laws like that (one of the biggest reasons why crossovers is a big thing in Japan), if they tried to pull something like that they would lose and rightfully so. Voidpoint is much easier target since they're Americans.

I wouldn't say that they're stealing, there is nothing wrong with making references to other stuff. This is usually pretty cool shit.

[Mike Norvak]

My train if though is the following:

I'll be the devil's advocate with this sentence,the first time I heard the name I immediately thought the game was called after the band just to notice it was "Ion" not "Iron" anyway it still sounded like a reference or homage to the band, so for a malicious mind the name can be just a copy with a modified letter.

Alright, the point is I can't conceive a serious lawsuit that even contemplates illegal to take a band's name, change a letter and make a videogame out of it (wich isn't even the case with Ion Maiden named after an item of a previous game) this is beyond me. Hell even the name isn't a made up name, it is a fictional device, how I'd wish the decency of Johann Philipp Siebenkees the supposedly creator of the Iron Maiden story would sue the band for using the name. I think the only way to stop this non sense is if they talk directly to the band, and if both fans of the game and the band spam the official accounts with complete disagreement about the accusations. Let's wait until the lawsuit is official. Hell what a non sense.

Edit: So I have read the twitts and articles, apparently the band is also claiming about the game's logo, style, skull, and protagonist similarities with the band counterparts. Yeah I see too many confused people expecting to play as a female version of Steve Harris just to want his money back when they notice there is no female Eddie around 🙄

[MusicallyInspired]

This is interesting regarding the Iron Maiden trademark. Apparently the band's trademark was updated on May 6, 2019. While the Ion Maiden game was created in Feb 2018. Why was the Ion Maiden trademark abandoned??

[Jimmy]

Sledgehammer, on 30 May 2019 - 07:24 AM, said:

They have no power in Japan since we don't have bullshit copyright laws like that (one of the biggest reasons why crossovers is a big thing in Japan), if they tried to pull something like that they would lose and rightfully so. Voidpoint is much easier target since they're Americans.

I wouldn't say that they're stealing, there is nothing wrong with making references to other stuff. This is usually pretty cool shit.

Again, this isn't about copyrights. It's about trademarks. And the idea of a trademark is that whatever you're trademarking can't be copyrighted for one reason or another. Iron Maiden can't copyright their name because it's the name of an historical torture device, but they can protect themselves by trademarking the name, and basically that means other people can't sell their shit or start another band by the same name. A famous example of this is the band the Misfits. They took their name after a 50s film, Danzig owns the copyrights to his original songs and art designs, and Danzig and Jerry Only both have rights to the trademark, meaning they can sell Misfits merchandise but must profit share.

Basically the crux of this legal argument would have to be that 3DR is literally stealing the image of the band and their video game. 3DR actually has the upper hand here in terms of legality. They could LITERALLY name the game Iron Maiden and it'd be fine. Iron Maiden's merchandiser only has the upper hand in terms of money.

They're being dicks just because they can afford it. Any judge in his right mind would side by 3DR, just as the whole Duke Nukum debacle. There is literally no way someone can confuse Ion Maiden for an Iron Maiden product, and it would be extremely easy to argue this in court. That just costs money.

[Outtagum]

Doom64hunter, on 30 May 2019 - 01:41 AM, said:

"Shrapnel Siren" is also a good candidate if you want to keep the female touch in the title.

[The Battlelord]

1øn Ma1den
sequel: 1øn Mai2en

No?

One Maiden
One Mai2en

No?

Oni Maiden
Oni Mai2en

No?

Steel Maiden
Steel Mai2en
(Duke: "I've got balls of steel". Shelly: "I've got 'somethingelse' of steel" )

Too similar yet? They can simply change their mind too!

[Mike Norvak]

Iron Mademoiselle

[OpenMaw]

The Battlelord, on 30 May 2019 - 09:48 AM, said:

(Duke: "I've got balls of steel". Shelly: "I've got 'somethingelse' of steel" )

OVARIES YOU TWAT WAFFLE!


*ahem* Sorry, I don't know what came over me.

[Mark]

Change the little yellow skull in the logo to something else, give Shelly a different last name which is only in a backstory and you've taken away a big chunk of Iron Maiden's argument.

[Jimmy]

The skull argument is total baloney anyhow. If anything it looks like the Offspring's logo, not Eddie.

[Sanek]

Another quesiton is, where have they been for a year after game's release? Does they literally waited when 3DR have some money from it?

[MusicallyInspired]

Sanek, on 30 May 2019 - 10:47 AM, said:

Another quesiton is, where have they been for a year after game's release? Does they literally waited when 3DR have some money from it?

See my earlier post a few posts back. Iron Maiden updated their trademark on May 6th. Interestingly it also says it was filed in the category of "computer & software products".

[Doom64hunter]

Zor, on 30 May 2019 - 09:37 AM, said:

uhhhh... System Shock and Serious Sam have those initials too you know?

[Sledgehammer]

Jimmy 100MPH, on 30 May 2019 - 08:40 AM, said:

Again, this isn't about copyrights. It's about trademarks.

I made pretty big mistake there then (though I was thinking about trademark when said that). But still, it changes nothing. I hope Ion Maiden stays the way it is so the devs just use this situation as free advertisement. From what it looks like they (3D Realms and Voidpoint) definitely can win this case.

[enderandrew]

Sledgehammer, on 30 May 2019 - 03:14 AM, said:

American copyright system is really bullshit. I guess if Guilty Gear wasn't Japanese game Iron Maiden and other bands would sue the series to death because it has shitton of heavy metal references including Iron Maiden (and by saying shitton I really mean it).

If I ever bother with Iron Maiden stuff I will pirate it and I hope they lose the law suit. Putting simple references in games should not be prohibited by the law in America or around the world.

Just to clarify, this is a trademark claim, not a copyright claim.

It is also a really weak claim, and a dick move.

[AlektorophobiA]

MusicallyInspired, on 30 May 2019 - 10:52 AM, said:

See my earlier post a few posts back. Iron Maiden updated their trademark on May 6th. Interestingly it also says it was filed in the category of "computer & software products".

Probably related to this:


If that's the case, are they claiming that people will get confused between Ion Maiden and their mobile game?, they are not even on the same platform for christ's sake.

[OpenMaw]

Next they'll have to go after the Painkiller series for obviously ripping off their song.

[Mark]

Hmm...It shows that game is free to download and play. So its not lost revenue they're worried about. I guess they just want to look out for us that we don't buy IM thinking its an Iron Maiden game. How benevolent of them that they want only 2 million dollars to protect us from our stupidity.

[Newken]

Commando Nukem, on 30 May 2019 - 12:44 PM, said:

Next they'll have to go after the Painkiller series for obviously ripping off their song.

BTW, Judas Priest > Iron Maiden

[OpenMaw]

How did I fuck that up?

Getting senile.

[MusicallyInspired]

They should sue id Software/Bethesda for the Iron Maiden baddie in Quake 2. And also Capcom for the one in Resident Evil IV.

[Mr. Tibbs]

Newken, on 30 May 2019 - 01:29 PM, said:

BTW, Judas Priest > Iron Maiden

They even robbed a bank with their instruments!

[NNC]

This whole infringement debacle is disgusting. Never listen to this overrated band again.

[Hank]

^ Am I gonna bury my original vinyl albums? Why? If I toss out everything, because some of the people, who made a given music/movie/game are jerks, I'd have nothing/little left.

3D Realms gets sued again for another Trademark infringement. Let’s just hope it does not end up as their first. That too looked like a no brainer, but they paid bitterly in the end.


Who would have thougth that Gøønit (@ Steam) is a visionary?

Ion Maiden caught in Iron Maiden

[Mike Norvak]

Hank, on 30 May 2019 - 08:33 PM, said:

^ Am I gonna bury my original vinyl albums?

Make sure to take that on video and put some explosives, make slow motion captures of the explosions and upload it to YouTube, I'm pretty sure when you'll get thousand of views the band's trademark team is going to claim any profit you make from the video...

[Jimmy]

It's not even the band that's doing it.

[NNC]

Well, we should find out what Harris or Dickinson think about the issue.

What was really appalling they even dare to say the Shelly Harrison name is also an infringement, and made up stories like people bought this game because they thought it's related to the band. A $7 bill is more credible than these ridiculous claims. And they ask no less but 2 million.

I don't know if it's the band behind this debacle or the management, but they are already lost this battle and it will hurt their legacy more than the money they ask for.