Intellectual property guidelines updated

[Roomsky]

Absolutely heartbreaking to see GW's intimidation tactics kill one of the community's most beloved fan projects. I'm not sure whether to level greater blame on GW or the stupidity of copyright law, so I shall settle for both, equally.

 

Pisses me off enough to see this happen due to business decisions, even worse that it's a poor business decision. Fan works, especially TTS, have broadened Warhammer's exposure immensely. They're cracking down on free advertising for no benefit.

[jarms48]

Just found out that Text to Speech is closing up shop. They're doing it pre-emptively though.

 

Still, though it's bull:cuss they feel compelled by GW to do this. I really want someone like Jim Sterling to do a video about them.

Edited July 30, 2021 by jarms48

[BluegrassGamer]

So, I keep seeing people claim that fan content creators - Bruva Alfabusa, Sodaz, etc - get people in to the 40K/Games Workshop hobby and... that doesn't really track for me.  It seems like established fans who've been in the hobby for years making content for other fans (esablished or otherwise). I don't know that the Google or YouTube algorithms would just randomly show some non-fan 40K content.  Unless maybe they've searched some of the creators other work and then saw their fan animations?  Searching for Sodaz's Ghost Wick animation and then finding his 40K animations.  I've always thought fan content made its way to newer fans when established fans went "Hey, check this out! I think you'll like it."

[Irate Khornate]

The title says all. The parody that pulled countless individuals into the hobby has decided to go on indefinite hiatus due to GW IP updates. Go watch the video for full idea of what's going on in Alfa Busas channel but it's still soul crushing for me.

[Marshal Loss]

Some quibbles that I think are worth stressing:

 

I don't believe we can rightfully call ourselves a community if we don't engage in a meaninful way.

 

This is a poor take. We don't have to do anything to earn the label of "a community". It is already ours. A community is by definition simply a group of people with a shared interest. The WH40k community is a monolithic, hydra-headed beast that probably shouldn't even be referenced as a singular entity (though we all, myself included, constantly do so) because it contains so many different groups, e.g. the B&C community, the competitive community, people that play the game casually, people that just want to paint some sci-fi models, people that play 40k video games, people that read Black Library novels, people that enjoy the memes and content made by others of the community, etc etc, with some being members of a single group, others being members of multiple groups, and a devout few having a finger in every pie.

 

We're a very broad church, and while there are bad eggs in every community, and I appreciate that you try to bring nuance to GW-related debates, our status is not defined by how we engage with Games Workshop.

 

 

It is absolutely the responsibility of making certain that our feedback reaches the business in question, as that's ultimately how a business improves upon a given product - something that other wargaming communities don't seem to have any difficulty wrapping their heads around.

Note that I didn't say that it wasn't our responsibility to give feedback, I said it wasn't our responsibility to elicit a "meaningful response", as you put it, from Games Workshop. It is their responsibility to respond to concerns in a meaningful fashion because this is a two way street. Some folks just want something to complain about but a large part of the reason why GW's actions are regularly responded to with such vitriol is because of their horrible business behaviour over a period of decades. They have no real competitors, are soaring from height to height, possess a global presence, and are notoriously reticent when it comes to dealing with fans - they aren't like other companies, and so the GW community is not like other wargaming communities. We're also far larger which means that you're going to see larger numbers of airheads, and there's little we can do about that, and comparing our actions to those of e.g. the Saga or Impetus communities is deeply misleading.

 

I don't know whether GW's actions here are the result of indifference or malevolence or stupidity. It might be (and probably is) a combination of one or more of those factors. But this is a company whose standard response to criticism is to flat out ignore it, no matter the medium through which said feedback is transferred. Why would anybody have any faith that emailing a list of suggestions on how they manage their IP is going to be taken up? I certainly don't. It's hard enough to get GW to provide a 10 word FAQ for a core game, let alone get them to engage with the community on a matter as complex as this.

 

You could (and probably would) argue that well, somebody has to get the ball rolling, which is fair, but again - this is a two way street. I roll my eyes whenever I see vocal airheads making us all look like stone age cannibals. But honestly? GW reap what they sow.

 

I think the above points are important which is why I'm posting them even though I think I'm sauntering a little off-topic, but I'll stop here as I've said my piece. I'm not an IP lawyer or an ex-wargaming executive, I'm just a guy who loves the setting and wants to see the community thrive.

 

 

So, I keep seeing people claim that fan content creators - Bruva Alfabusa, Sodaz, etc - get people in to the 40K/Games Workshop hobby and... that doesn't really track for me.

Anecdotal as it is, I've seen people everywhere from Reddit to Facebook to Dakka to Instagram reacting to this news by saying that they were introduced to the hobby through creators like Alfabusa. Content like TTS provides a more "casual" avenue for people who might be interested in 40k to sample it without having to dive in to what is indisputably a very dense hobby.

[Marshal Loss]

It is being discussed in the IP-related thread in AA, so this thread might be closed, but I'll say more or less what I said there: while I wasn't a fan of TTS, this is a huge loss for the community. GW have mucked up.

[sitnam]

It is being discussed in the IP-related thread in AA, so this thread might be closed, but I'll say more or less what I said there: while I wasn't a fan of TTS, this is a huge loss for the community. GW have mucked up.

 

Unless GW directly came after TTS, no they didnt. Everything I've seen (not that I looked deep into it, in all fairness) is this was a preemptive measure.

[Marshal Loss]

 

It is being discussed in the IP-related thread in AA, so this thread might be closed, but I'll say more or less what I said there: while I wasn't a fan of TTS, this is a huge loss for the community. GW have mucked up.

 

Unless GW directly came after TTS, no they didnt. Everything I've seen (not that I looked deep into it, in all fairness) is this was a preemptive measure.

 

It is a direct reaction to GW's updated IP guidelines, and TTS is one of the largest fan-made 40k shows on the internet, one which has attracted tens of millions of views. If GW's most successful fan creators are placed in a position where they feel they have to shut down as a preemptive measure to avoid legal action, GW has absolutely mucked up.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

My disappointment is immeasurable and is best expressed in multiple, sharp, monosyllabic words.

 

This is enough interneting for an evening, I think. How sad.

[sitnam]

 

 

It is being discussed in the IP-related thread in AA, so this thread might be closed, but I'll say more or less what I said there: while I wasn't a fan of TTS, this is a huge loss for the community. GW have mucked up.

 

Unless GW directly came after TTS, no they didnt. Everything I've seen (not that I looked deep into it, in all fairness) is this was a preemptive measure.

 

It is a direct reaction to GW's updated IP guidelines, and TTS is one of the largest fan-made 40k shows on the internet, one which has attracted tens of millions of views. If GW's most successful fan creators are placed in a position where they feel they have to shut down as a preemptive measure to avoid legal action, GW has absolutely mucked up.

 

 

I'll agree to disagree. I have no reason to think GW would just go directly for a lawsuit in the case of TTS, and this seems like an overreaction. 

[Petitioner's City]

I think something we need to remember also is that GW isn't a single body of one mind; as Alfabusa says, they are a corporate body of different departments. So I'm sure many in the company will have uneasy feelings about things like TTS closing shop, or other fan avenues closing down, due to certain teams' actions. We say "GW's actions" or "GW did" (in the same way we say "the government did", "the council did", etc.) but we should be more specific - as that prevents ridiculous abuse of employees completely unconnected to that decision and leads to a better understanding of the company.

 

In addition, i think Warhammer is in a strange place because basically the entire hobby is "fan art" - but legally different forms of fan art are different kinds of products. I can imagine very varied understandings of this even within the company - a kind of myers-briggs spectrum of feelingsy looser "values" versus legalistic "principles".

[Marshal Loss]

 

I'll agree to disagree. I have no reason to think GW would just go directly for a lawsuit in the case of TTS, and this seems like an overreaction.

 

Happy to disagree. Regarding the above, you don't, but you're also not the person trying to make a livelihood out of something that is now according to GW's new legal guidelines strictly forbidden. They don't have to go for a lawsuit, they can just have new videos removed/his income blocked at literally any moment. Would they? Maybe not, probably not, but if you can't understand how these new guidelines directly disincentivise content production then I'm not sure what to say. As the video says, the guy has a kid to think about.

[Arkhanist]

 

 

 

It is being discussed in the IP-related thread in AA, so this thread might be closed, but I'll say more or less what I said there: while I wasn't a fan of TTS, this is a huge loss for the community. GW have mucked up.

 

Unless GW directly came after TTS, no they didnt. Everything I've seen (not that I looked deep into it, in all fairness) is this was a preemptive measure.

 

It is a direct reaction to GW's updated IP guidelines, and TTS is one of the largest fan-made 40k shows on the internet, one which has attracted tens of millions of views. If GW's most successful fan creators are placed in a position where they feel they have to shut down as a preemptive measure to avoid legal action, GW has absolutely mucked up.

 

 

I'll agree to disagree. I have no reason to think GW would just go directly for a lawsuit in the case of TTS, and this seems like an overreaction.

 

 

They likely wouldn't go straight to a lawsuit; it would be DMCA takedown notices to youtube, each one (per video) which is counted as a copyright strike. Just one is enough for youtube to block your ability to monetise videos. Three, and your channel is disabled, and your account and all videos can potentially be deleted. The only way to avoid losing your channel is to ask the sender for the original notice to be withdrawn (good luck with that!) or to post a counter notice that you believe it's fair use or not their copyright, which publically posts your personal info. The DMCA notice poster then has 14 days to say if they're going to start legal action; if they say that, then the content stays down for good. Plus, you know, then having to fight a copyright suit (which is incredibly expensive to defend), on the basis of the counter notice.

 

The system is heavily weighted towards making life easier for copyright owners, and as a result has led to widespread abuse of DMCA takedowns on youtube by the music industry, among others.

 

GW's new stated policy is that they have a 'zero tolerance policy in respect of infringement', where fans must not create any animation based upon their 'characters and settings' except under licence. Alfabusa has stated that with a mortgage and a child, he simply doesn't want to take the risk, and he doesn't believe there's any point trying to get a licence. It would be incredibly easy to lose the channel and his many, many subscribers at the very least temporarily with youtube's OTT implementation of DMCA notices, and with it his income.

 

GW already send DMCA notices aplenty (I've noted 2 in this thread a few pages back), and their policy now explictly bans what he does, despite it being fairly clear case of fair use. So posting any new videos is basically challenging GW to enforce their new policy via the DMCA with a very high profile target on his back - and he doesn't want to risk his livelihood to do so.

 

A "chilling effect" is the inhibition or discouragement of the legitimate exercise of natural and legal rights by the threat of legal sanction. i.e. people stop exercising their rights under fair use against copyright infringement, because the price of getting it wrong is too high, and the benefits not worth it. This is a classic example of a chilling effect - GW gets what they want without having to file any suit, just stating their willingness to do so in the new policy, and people who can't afford to fight comply even when there's every chance they would win if it ever came to court.

 

In the end of the day, Alfabusa is the one who has skin in the game, not us, and if he doesn't want to play the DMCA lottery, I'm not going to blame him in the slightest.

Edited July 30, 2021 by Arkhanist

[Balerion84]

This is a bit of a dilemma for me.

When GW posted those updated terms, I was like ok, I understand. Don't like it, but I get it. But I'm drawing my line at parody (specifically TTS came to mind). Parody should be sacred.

 

I know I know, GW haven't actually done anything officially to take TTS down, yet. So I'm going to wait and see how it plays out. For now, I at least subbed to Alfabusa's patreon.

 

I was planning to subscribe to WH+, but I'm starting to have second thoughts about it now. I'll have to give it a bit of thinking.

Edited July 30, 2021 by Balerion84

[Kastor Krieg]

This is a bit of a dilemma for me.

When GW posted those updated terms, I was like ok, I understand. Don't like it, but I get it. But I'm drawing my line at parody (specifically TTS came to mind). Parody should be sacred.

 

I know I know, GW haven't actually done anything officially to take TTS down, yet. So I'm going to wait and see how it plays out. For now, I at least subbed to Alfabusa's patreon.

 

I was planning to subscribe to WH+, but I'm starting to have second thoughts about it now. I'll have to give it a bit of thinking.

They have, they announced draconian rules with huge amounts of overreach and 'zero tolerance policy' in enforcing them, meaning they will bankrupt you with legal procedures they can afford and you can't. It's legal intimidation 101, a classic corporate bully move. Every single fan creator, especially the animators, have been slapped across the face and GW is all "whatchu gonna do about it, boy?".

[Domhnall]

 

 

I'll agree to disagree. I have no reason to think GW would just go directly for a lawsuit in the case of TTS, and this seems like an overreaction.

 

Happy to disagree. Regarding the above, you don't, but you're also not the person trying to make a livelihood out of something that is now according to GW's new legal guidelines strictly forbidden. They don't have to go for a lawsuit, they can just have new videos removed/his income blocked at literally any moment. Would they? Maybe not, probably not, but if you can't understand how these new guidelines directly disincentivise content production then I'm not sure what to say. As the video says, the guy has a kid to think about.

 

 

Disclaimers:

<Bold text above is highlighted by me>

Haven't read or seen anything regarding TTS, so don't know the specifics here, this is just a post from 'the other side' as it were. 

* Extra disclaimer, I am not necessarily disagreeing with what anybody is saying, just giving a bit of context from my perspective. 

 

Looking at that from an IP protection standpoint (not necessarily GW, but any IP that wants to flex their muscle), that's pretty much the issue here. He's trying to "make a living" off someone else's IP. It's the profitting from that most IP protection clauses have issue with. Fan art? Grand. Stories? Super! Making money from them? Hammer of purging to the face! 

 

I'm not going to go into parody/ critique/ fair use stuff etc because <waves hands exageratedly> that's a whole different kettle of nurglings that I don't know enough about. This post is more about trying to clarify a position. Though I will say there is a ton of fan animation/parody videos on youtube about other huge IP's (Dorkly, Super Cafe etc), so yes I can get behind the idea of GW being a bit heavy handed and maybe taking their little plastic figures a little too seriously. 

 

In this age of the internet, I really do think that there needs to be something done by the powers that be who decide laws of fair use (governments? Illuminati?) need to create more understandable and useful laws regarding IP proteciton and what fans can do. Because it's much easier now for fans to create their own art/stories/animations and have them published into the public domain than it was even 10-20 years ago!* Nothing will be done, but the dream is there. 

 

* - In 2025 Wallace from West Wallaby Street releases his feature length stop motion animation he started single handedly back in 1989. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Domhnall

[Balerion84]

 

 

This is a bit of a dilemma for me.

When GW posted those updated terms, I was like ok, I understand. Don't like it, but I get it. But I'm drawing my line at parody (specifically TTS came to mind). Parody should be sacred.

 

I know I know, GW haven't actually done anything officially to take TTS down, yet. So I'm going to wait and see how it plays out. For now, I at least subbed to Alfabusa's patreon.

 

I was planning to subscribe to WH+, but I'm starting to have second thoughts about it now. I'll have to give it a bit of thinking.

They have, they announced draconian rules with huge amounts of overreach and 'zero tolerance policy' in enforcing them, meaning they will bankrupt you with legal procedures they can afford and you can't. It's legal intimidation 101, a classic corporate bully move. Every single fan creator, especially the animators, have been slapped across the face and GW is all "whatchu gonna do about it, boy?".

Yeah, I know, that was more of a preemptive argument against those that'd say that GW didn't actually enforce them against TTS yet and Alfabusa put TTS on hiatus of his own volition. But I understand why he did that after the update from GW. It's not worth the risk.

[Joe]

Courtesy of another user, here's Games Workshop's Complaints form. I would flag your displeasure with the company here. That said...

 

• Don't identify specific content creators. All this does is paint a target on their back.
• Be civil - don't swear, and don't be snide. If you can't provide criticism without being rude you shouldn't be opening your mouth in the first place.
• Suggest alternative solutions to the current IP issue - in this case, point to Xbox's Game Content Usage Rules as a positive example.
• And most importantly - flag that the lack of communication to the community is incredibly harmful and may drive you to other brands. This is something that should have been rolled around more than it was.

[Arkhanist]

 

 

 

I'll agree to disagree. I have no reason to think GW would just go directly for a lawsuit in the case of TTS, and this seems like an overreaction.

 

Happy to disagree. Regarding the above, you don't, but you're also not the person trying to make a livelihood out of something that is now according to GW's new legal guidelines strictly forbidden. They don't have to go for a lawsuit, they can just have new videos removed/his income blocked at literally any moment. Would they? Maybe not, probably not, but if you can't understand how these new guidelines directly disincentivise content production then I'm not sure what to say. As the video says, the guy has a kid to think about.

 

 

Disclaimers:

<Bold text above is highlighted by me>

Haven't read or seen anything regarding TTS, so don't know the specifics here, this is just a post from 'the other side' as it were. 

* Extra disclaimer, I am not necessarily disagreeing with what anybody is saying, just giving a bit of context from my perspective. 

 

Looking at that from an IP protection standpoint (not necessarily GW, but any IP that wants to flex their muscle), that's pretty much the issue here. He's trying to "make a living" off someone else's IP. It's the profitting from that most IP protection clauses have issue with. Fan art? Grand. Stories? Super! Making money from them? Hammer of purging to the face! 

 

I'm not going to go into parody/ critique/ fair use stuff etc because <waves hands exageratedly> that's a whole different kettle of nurglings that I don't know enough about. This post is more about trying to clarify a position. Though I will say there is a ton of fan animation/parody videos on youtube about other huge IP's (Dorkly, Super Cafe etc), so yes I can get behind the idea of GW being a bit heavy handed and maybe taking their little plastic figures a little too seriously. 

 

In this age of the internet, I really do think that there needs to be something done by the powers that be who decide laws of fair use (governments? Illuminati?) need to create more understandable and useful laws regarding IP proteciton and what fans can do. Because it's much easier now for fans to create their own art/stories/animations and have them published into the public domain than it was even 10-20 years ago!* Nothing will be done, but the dream is there. 

 

* - In 2025 Wallace from West Wallaby Street releases his feature length stop motion animation he started single handedly back in 1989. 

 

 

 

Fair use is the key thing though. Copyright is not absolute, but it is very broad. Hell, this comment is technically automatically my copyright - I'm sure there's a T&C somewhere that means I'm giving B&C a licence to store/show it etc (and there's an implied licence anyway, because I'm posting it here voluntarily); but someone copying my words verbatim to somewhere else? A breach of my copyright, technically speaking.

 

Fair use is a defence to copyright infringement. Broadly speaking, a 'fair use' is any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without any permission from the copyright owner - and indeed is quite legal and fair to be used to make a living from. We rely on fair use here at B&C, every time we quote part of a warhammer community article or a picture - and that's why we're instructed not to copy whole articles, but only quote a limited part in order to comment upon it. Technically speaking, it's the users who copy from WHC who would otherwise be liable, not B&C, under section 230.

 

TTS uses some limited amounts of GW character artwork in order to make a new copyrighted work. The question is, is that limited use of GW's copyrighted work a fair use or not? And the problem is, the answer is very much 'I'll know it when I see it' - it comes down to a court, in the end, to make that decision, and it can be a very grey area that's expensive to find out.

 

I think there's a fairly clear case to made that it falls under parody, and there is a general acceptance that an effective parody needs some taking of the original work, based upon prior cases. But nothing's absolutely set in stone.

 

DMCA notices do not require any acknowledgement of fair use. Fair use is a reason to put up a counter notice to a DMCA takedown, but it's then up to the original copyright holder whether they accept that it is, or if they wish to test it in court instead. Companies have been ordered to pay the costs of the defender when they've tried to take down material, and then pursued it in court, that it was a clear cut fair use - but again, that's not guaranteed in any way, and you could have a long and expensive journey to find out, and that's entirely at the whim of the copyright holder - even if the case then ultimately proves that you never needed a licence, as fair use meant it wasn't infringing in the first place.

 

Relying on GW's good will that they won't try and test if it's fair use or not is one thing, but doing it when they explicitly say they have a 'zero tolerance' policy? It doesn't matter if it's entirely fair and legal if proving it might bankrupt you anyway.

Edited July 30, 2021 by Arkhanist

[BluegrassGamer]

Gotta say, every time a someone tries to defend fan animators with "But it's free advertising for GW!" I automatically assume they try to pay commission artist or graphic designers in 'exposure'.  

I dunno.  Guess some drama that roiled the local comic book scene five years back has colored my view of things. A local "artist" took images out of comic books, snazzed them up a bit in photoshop, and then tried selling his photoshopped stuff at the only comic shop in town and local comic book conventions.  Didn't go over so great when one of the comic book illustrators whose work they'd - I dunno? Cribbed, maybe? Stole from? - happened to be at the same convention the local "artist" was at and decided to confront them over it.  The "artist" tried to pass it off as fan art and said the convention they were at was totally okay with it. (Weirdly, this was true...)

Most folks agree that you shouldn't go around thieving comic book artwork, sprucing it up photoshop, and selling it as your own. Right?  And if that's the case, why should fan content creators who've monetized their YouTube channels or set up Patreons and infringe on GW's IP be treated differently?  

Edited July 30, 2021 by BluegrassGamer

[Arkhanist]

Most folks agree that you shouldn't go around thieving comic book artwork, sprucing it up photoshop, and selling it as your own. Right?  And if that's the case, why should fan content creators who've monetized their YouTube channels or set up Patreons and infringe on GW's IP be treated differently?  

 

Because there's a significant legal and moral difference between passing off a slavish copy as your own work, and taking a small part of someone else's work to make something entirely different and new?

 

Recasters would be the equivalent of your comic book "artist", and they get short shrift here. Perhaps go and have a watch of some TTS and tell us if you still think it's a slavish copy of GW's work, or something using bits of their work to make something entirely different.

 

Anyway, I'm in danger of thread sitting, so I'm going to take a break from posting here for a bit.

[Guest]

Text-to-Speech is going on indefinite hiatus; it's a lengthy video, and worth noting several things.

• Risk mitigation - asking that fans DO NOT harass Games Workshop employees over this. This was Bruva and co's decision - criticise the company and the brand, but don't attack the staff. Also, asking people don't go on weird LARP-stuff across comment sections. Weirdos, basically.

 

And half them didn't watch the video and are sperging in the FB groups...

 

I am with you that I was not bothered about TTS but (FOR ME) as a genre Parody is not something I particularly enjoy.

 

I work for a company that aggressively defends their IP. I get why GW does it.

 

But my main thing is I will take the GW of now warts and all over the abusive Kirby years.

 

 

From the TTS video: "Please also I would ask anyone to not go like on a LARP space marine warpath through comment sections typing "purge gw!" or "GW took TTS, time for a crusade!" or anything of the sort, like, I would assume that like some, like a few, like a minority of people might do this and like, uh, I don't want you to do that."

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Wolf Guard Einar

[NatBrannigan]

Never one to overreact and I'm all for a company protecting it's IP (I know it just stolen from Tolkien, but everything is stolen from Tolkien!), but it's starting to go to far. They want Warhammer + to be a success so are cutting down on fan animations that they haven't brought in house, I get that, but the blanket threat they've essentially sent out leaves a bad taste. Will there be anything similar to TTS on Warhammer +? No chance, so what threat was it? If it wasn't for third party heads (literally just heads, GW haven't lost a penny of money from me) I wouldn't have my Guard army.

 

Saved money for a new Ork army but I'm honestly reconsidering now. I've politely filled in the complaint form and told GW about my concerns but I know it'll be either ignored or buried in forms that read as if they've been written by a rabid mongoose.

 

It all seemed to be going so well after they Kirby years, and it feels like things are slipping back. Understand your customers GW, we nerds need a bit more love than most, but if we get it the money flows!

[Medjugorje]

 

cant wait to make a fan film about how super advanced humans built men of iron and they rebelled against them nearly destroying them leading to a fudal culture that doesnt use computers and uses mutated humans called navigators to travel through space. im sure they will easily be able to prove that they came up with that .....

 

 

So I heard Brian Herbert and Warner Bros will send cease and desist demands to Games Workshop to takedown all  use of the word "Imperium" as infringing on the IP of Dune. 

 

I guess we call it the Empire of Man? Taken? Terran Empire? Taken? Well, gee...

 

20 years out from the hobby, come back and find GW is still the same. 

 

hmmm. I think they have a big problem those time with all that 3d printing stuff. The only thing they have is their IP. They need to save it. Maybe they have to learn how doing it. 

 

I am not a professional when it comes to law (especially when its an international thing) but if you give licenses to all creaters it must be okay. There should/MUST be a way to give permissions to content creators without loosing anything by it.

[Guest]

 

 

cant wait to make a fan film about how super advanced humans built men of iron and they rebelled against them nearly destroying them leading to a fudal culture that doesnt use computers and uses mutated humans called navigators to travel through space. im sure they will easily be able to prove that they came up with that .....

 

 

So I heard Brian Herbert and Warner Bros will send cease and desist demands to Games Workshop to takedown all  use of the word "Imperium" as infringing on the IP of Dune. 

 

I guess we call it the Empire of Man? Taken? Terran Empire? Taken? Well, gee...

 

20 years out from the hobby, come back and find GW is still the same. 

 

hmmm. I think they have a big problem those time with all that 3d printing stuff. The only thing they have is their IP. They need to save it. Maybe they have to learn how doing it. 

 

I am not a professional when it comes to law (especially when its an international thing) but if you give licenses to all creaters it must be okay. There should/MUST be a way to give permissions to content creators without loosing anything by it.

 

Brian Herbert should send a C&D to himself for wrecking his fathers lore :)