Ye Olde Inn

by **nedius** » January 19th, 2013, 6:55 am

Hi there,

anyone ever heard of this company? They let you create your own custom playing cards, and can be used to create decks of game cards as well.

Any experience of it, or any similar companies?

I don't have any experience with anything like that, but I would caution anyone who would think about
using a company like that to print heroquest cards - even reprinting the originals. I am fairly certain
that would violate copyright laws and/or trademark laws. Unless, that is, you come up with your own
card design and make sure not to make ANY mention of the original game or any names used in
connection with the original game.

As I have passed on before...game rules cannot be copyrighted or trademarked, so you would be safe
with simply coming up with your own monsters and spells and such. You would have to use a term such
as attack dice and defense dice (I would even be careful about using the term combat dice, as that might
be getting too close to the line on copyright... but that is just my opinion on that).

I would most definitely not make any monster cards with the pictures of the combat dice (skulls and shields)
as that would be artistry copyright violation.

Sorry to go on and on...just trying to make sure everyone is safe and not going to get themselves into trouble.

by **chaoticprime** » February 19th, 2013, 2:07 pm

The copyright has expired, and the trademarks are dead. Heroquest is not legally owned by anyone, anymore. At least regarding the United States.

by **Goblin-King** » February 19th, 2013, 4:19 pm

chaoticprime wrote:The copyright has expired, and the trademarks are dead. Heroquest is not legally owned by anyone, anymore. At least regarding the United States.

Really? Source?

by **mako-heart** » February 19th, 2013, 8:55 pm

Goblin-King wrote:
chaoticprime wrote:The copyright has expired, and the trademarks are dead. Heroquest is not legally owned by anyone, anymore. At least regarding the United States.

Really? Source?

Yeah that's news to me as well. I find that highly unlikely.

by **chaoticprime** » February 19th, 2013, 9:04 pm

mako-heart wrote:
Goblin-King wrote:
chaoticprime wrote:The copyright has expired, and the trademarks are dead. Heroquest is not legally owned by anyone, anymore. At least regarding the United States.

Really? Source?

Yeah that's news to me as well. I find that highly unlikely.

http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/index.jsp

http://www.copyright.gov/records/

by **drathe** » February 19th, 2013, 10:40 pm

Copyrights of corporate authorship within the United States last for 120 years from the date of creation.
Trademark registration is for periods of ten years, but between the fifth and sixth year require an additional fee and affidavit to keep it alive. This fee must also be paid along with an another affidavit in the last year of each 10 year renewal cycle.

by **chaoticprime** » February 19th, 2013, 11:43 pm

drathe wrote:Copyrights of corporate authorship within the United States last for 120 years from the date of creation.
Trademark registration is for periods of ten years, but between the fifth and sixth year require an additional fee and affidavit to keep it alive. This fee must also be paid along with an another affidavit in the last year of each 10 year renewal cycle.

And yet there is still no copyright for it. Maybe it has to do with its cooperative development, and then Hasbro buying MB? I am aware of what the laws are, I did not just make up what I said earlier. There is no registered copyright, therefore no one has one in the United States. The weather channel may say there is rain, but if you look outside and there isn't any, the weather channel is wrong.

by **drathe** » February 20th, 2013, 12:52 am

The last page of the Instruction Manual, Quest Book and every single card has a copyright on it. Copyrights don't have to be registered. Mind you, for small companies it's easier to prove your copyright and date if you register, but for a large company like Hasbro and the mass production of HeroQuest it wouldn't be necessary. There's no denying when they produced it.

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#register wrote:Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”