On 08/24/2011 07:48 PM, Jim Brain wrote:
if they didn't do this they loose their copyright
though
Even if that were true, and I'm not sure it is, it's still pointless.
Their stuff left the realm of commercial relevancy over twenty years
ago. It is only of historic and nostalgic interest now. Those suits
going after this is just a desperate grab for (nonexistant) money. It
reeks of suitly sleaziness and a whole lot of cluelessness, aside from
being assholes.
I'm not saying that I agree with their tone and methods, but there are
legitimate reasons (that you would appreciate) for doing things like this.
If they fail to show vigorous defense of the name, they open the door
for other firms to use the name for monetary gain for products of
dubious value without hope of winning a suit against them. Yes, Atari
could (and would) file a suit against the firms, but they do so in a
significantly weakened position. Thus, even though they risk alienating
their core customers, these letters form a paper trail that show the
court a vigorous defense. My point: If you don't want some dodgy company
to make a crappy product and trick buyers into thinking it's an Atari
item, consider your position on these C&Ds carefully. I see it not as a
"desperate grab for money" as much as a "ensuring no one else tries to
make a quick grab fr cash using the name".
I must begrudgingly admit that this makes a great deal of sense.
It's a real shame that our society and our legal system is so utterly
screwed up that this kind of thing happens.
If this sort of thing becomes more prevalent (which it
might),
enthusiasts might need to form "associations" that can handle protecting
or dealing with these things. The links would be on a association's site
(portal), etc.
I think this is a really good idea.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL