Copyright notice from Elite Systems Ltd. / Motivetime Ltd.
Just got an email from Elite Systems concerning one of their games in my selling threads. It looks pretty legit, it has me a bit concerned. I got in a panic and sent a reply offering to comply with their demands, no reply yet.
I haven't ever had anything like this happen. Does anyone know some details on Elite Systems?
I haven't ever had anything like this happen. Does anyone know some details on Elite Systems?
Comments
They're threatening legal action because you're trying to sell their game that you own?
When those "games that you own" are all illegal bootlegs that he made, yes.
Maybe this is a hint Guntz that you should stop making and selling this crap?
Regarding the 30 year thing....it's still their intellectual property. In fact every single reproduction of unreleased games is still owned by *someone* unless they have released the source code into public domain.
So these guys are well into their rights.
Looks like they're still around and have previously put old IPs on the phone, according to my wiki reading.
They most likely just want to protect their IP. But just in case I would ask for a free consultation with a lawyer in your area, let them read the interactions and see what they say.
I'd brush up on copyright law, and see if they even have a leg to stand on
They're likely WELL into their rights. If an unreleased copy of my book got out there and someone reprinted and released it any time after 70 years of my death then I or my estate have the rights to persue legal action. Same applies to anything created on or after January 1st...1977 I think? So almost every single game, book, video, picture, and song made in the US is still covered.
I'd brush up on copyright law, and see if they even have a leg to stand on
Google lawyers are the best lawyers.
I don't think emails are actually formal since there's a layer of probably deniability and no real way of proving who's behind the keyboard but that's thinking a little way to far ahead of the line.
Emails are plenty "formal" and legal. I've submitted them to the court often. They are open to a greater level of perusal/questionsing of validity, of course.
As others have said, chances are they are well within their rights.
I'd be interested to know exactly what their demands were, if they were anything outside a standard C&D.
In the email there are a couple screen caps of the purported copyright infringement, but they're clearly mobile device captures, tablet to be specific. Would a real company email actually do that?
You'd be surprised how lazy/unprofessional a lot of legal departments are, if this even came from anyone with a legal background. Especially ones from small companies such as this.
If you are concerned you should seek counsel. There are likely plenty of folks around taking up pro bono cases near you, if you even feel it is worth your time. Would be much easier to just stop, of course.
They're threatening legal action because you're trying to sell their game that you own?
When those "games that you own" are all illegal bootlegs that he made, yes.
Maybe this is a hint Guntz that you should stop making and selling this crap?
Lol
The email mentioned nothing about a C&D, they wanted sales and accounts information.
That sounds sketchy.
The email mentioned nothing about a C&D, they wanted sales and accounts information.
Sounds ultra lazy and just prodding to see if you are worth their time.
The email mentioned nothing about a C&D, they wanted sales and accounts information.
Whaaaaaat? That seems like an odd request, no?
If an unreleased copy of my book got out there and someone reprinted and released it any time after 70 years of my death then I or my estate have the rights to persue legal action. Same applies to anything created on or after January 1st...1977 I think?
Depends on the publication/creation date, as the law changed several times over the years. For most things after the first of 1978, yeah (work for hire might be different, though.)
This is similar to the physical slider I use at work.
http://librarycopyright.net/resources/digitalslider/
The email mentioned nothing about a C&D, they wanted sales and accounts information.
Whaaaaaat? That seems like an odd request, no?
basis for damages perhaps?
The email mentioned nothing about a C&D, they wanted sales and accounts information.
Whaaaaaat? That seems like an odd request, no?
That seems like a great request from somebody ready to sue your ass.
Source Code I thought was a good movie.
It was reasonably well made and there were some interesting ideas in the story, but the resolution was too dumb for my tastes.
On the other hand, responding in anyway to legal correspondance before consulting a laywer is a terrible idea, especially for anything more involved than a c&d. @guntz if you haven't spoken to one yet, get off the forum and find one now.