Warner Bros., Monolith Closure, and the Legal Legacy of the Nemesis System
In this episode, lawyer Richard Hoeg discusses the recent Warner Brothers studio closures and reflects on the company's history in the video game industry, including Monolith Productions. He focuses on intellectual property issues in gaming, with references to the "No One Lives Forever" series and Monolith's Nemesis System. Richard clarifies different types of intellectual property and common misconceptions, providing legal perspectives on the studio closures and the Nemesis System patent. He explores the future of the Nemesis System, intellectual property licenses, and US Patent and Trademark Office challenges. The episode concludes with Richard's thoughts on the implications of intellectual property in gaming.
Key Points
- Warner Brothers' closure of Monolith Productions and the cancellation of the Wonder Woman game have sparked concerns but do not appear to signify a broader industry trend or impending video game crash.
- The patent held by Warner Brothers for the Nemesis system remains in effect despite the studio's closure, and this intellectual property can still be licensed out to other developers.
- Intellectual property laws, including patents, copyrights, and trademarks, have distinct definitions and implications, often leading to confusion and misinformation, as seen in public reactions on social media.
LINKS
CLOSURES/NOLF https://www.polygon.com/news/529310/warner-bros-games-monolith-productions-multiversus-studio-closure https://kotaku.com/the-sad-story-behind-a-dead-pc-game-that-cant-come-back-1688358811
NEMESIS HEADLINES https://kotaku.com/monolith-productions-middle-earth-nemesis-system-patent-1851766437 https://www.thegamer.com/warner-bros-owns-nemesis-system-until-2035-despite-monolith-closure/ https://www.ign.com/articles/after-warner-bros-shut-down-shadow-of-mordor-developer-monolith-and-canceled-wonder-woman-fans-lament-the-wasted-potential-of-its-nemesis-system https://www.eurogamer.net/shadow-of-mordors-brilliant-nemesis-system-is-locked-away-by-a-warner-bros-patent-until-2036-despite-studio-shutdown
IP LAW/CONFUSION https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/basics/trademark-patent-copyright https://x.com/BangBangClick/status/1894505752003309829 https://x.com/SynthPotato/status/1894467413502054717
THE PATENT/OPTIONS https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160279522A1/en https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/opinion/is-warners-nemesis-patent-really-gross-im-not-sure-id-go-that-far/ https://michelsonip.com/fundamentals-of-ip-license/ https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/35/102 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/35/103 https://www.theiplawblog.com/2021/03/articles/ip/how-to-challenge-a-patent-in-the-pto/
Chapters
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Transcript
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