The idea here is to have common superheroes database that contained illegal character names (those owned by various comics book companies).
Then any of the companies (who have access to this database) can update it when they find any trademarked names and that information can be quickly distributed to the various projects. The could help the successor projects to avoid lawsuits.
Also, it be nice to create a set of open license hero, villains and super-group names that maybe shared among the projects. Example: A villain group may be called Psycho-Barbarians and is added to the open license database. Two projects could use that name, even though the composition of the villain groups in the two projects maybe totally different. Having open license names could help protect against lawsuits.
Moot until at least one of these successors launches. From there, the specific means will be determined by negotiation.
[i]Has anyone seen my mind? It was right here...[/i]
Pretty sure copyrights are public knowledge. Each effort should be able to easily get a list whenever they determine they need to.
Unless you are effectively making the game around certain groups/faction I'm sure they're not going to trademark those names considering the work need in enforcing it to be able to keep the trademark.
Assuming we do get to a point where there are multiple CoH successor projects up and running I could see where they might periodically share their character naming filter lists so that they could help each other prevent players from using names owned by the big comic book companies.
But as far any given successor project using a name for their own game content I would think that each of them would need to do their own IP review/validation regardless. There's no need to have a collective general database of names that these companies CAN use amongst themselves - they just need to be able to individually find out what they CAN'T use at the specific time they try to use it.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Just one man's opinion but I'm already suspicious of the level of behind the scenes "negotiations" that have taken place and are being attempted between the successor efforts. Competition is a good thing. Shared databases, coordinated modified production schedules/release dates, and other activities that I have caught wind of between the successor "brotherhood" start to cross the line into something that isn't healthy...or legal. I am not accusing anybody of any wrong doing. And I am not trying to start a range war between the successors either (being mean sucks and is more often than not counterproductive). Just saying, normally, competitors in other industries do not act so chummy toward each other... for good reason.
Most of these folks were good friends before deciding their "best" path they wanted to pursue. And their labors are borne of love for the material. Also CoH was well known for it's excellent community. So I don't find it unhealthy so much as unusual when compared to folks that don't know each other and are just working a "job". It's just a non standard situation. Illegal has an entirely different standard and I, for one, don't think we are anywhere close to it.
That depends on the industry, really. Several technical industries cooperate to maintain interoperable standards for a variety of technologies, such as programming languages (ISO, IEC, ECMA, ANSI, etc.), integrated circuit packaging (EIA, JEDEC, JASD, etc), networking (IEEE, IETF, etc.) and so forth. So long as the final work is fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND), you're on solid ground. Patent litigation followed by cross-licensing isn't the only way to work.
The various teams have already "collaborated" a few times to make sure they're not launching Kickstarters and other fundraisers simultaneously. We can share a list of names to avoid just like ISPs and backbones can share routing tables. Don't panic.
[i]Has anyone seen my mind? It was right here...[/i]
No panic here. And I guess I'm ok with "non standard" vice unhealthy or illegal. Perhaps my phrasing was a bit strong. And I am no lawyer. But these relationships go well beyond any need to cooperate on interoperability standards. Please don't paint the situation in that light. All I ask is that you consider the circumstances from my (admittedly limited) point of view. I don't have any inside information on what you talk about with competitors. Most times I really don't care. But sometimes it leaves me scratching my head. I didn't want this to get ugly but I feel compelled to give a few examples. Stuff like (a) a leaked video with a follow up explanation of that MWM trades what I consider inside information (that I as a kickstarter contributor had not seen) on a regular basis (huh?). (b) Numerous, unsolicited, and very public comments of high praise, brotherhood, welcome, desire to not step on toes, desire to modify production schedules to favor competitors etc. (huh?). (c) Hiring a competitor to do specialized tasks MWM can't accomplish (huh?)
I could go on but my intent isn't to besmirch any individual or company's good name. Rather, it's just to show that it is plausible for someone (like me) who is on the outside and who is not a personal friend of anyone involved in any of successor efforts could gain a perspective that this "non standard situation" could sometimes be interpreted as questionable. If I didn't care about MWM and the ultimate success of CoT I would not waste my time ginning up these observations. Do with them what you will. But this is not a trolling effort. I am obviously only one voice among many. And that voice is done with this topic.
For what it's worth I've also been relatively fascinated(?) by the "atypical developmental relationship" shared between the various CoH successor projects over the years. I understand the basic situation at work here - many of the people behind these efforts were/are still real life friends and/or direct offshoots of each other. Clearly it's "complicated" to say the least.
I just find myself wondering what's going to happen when one or more of these projects finally become live MMOs. Will the current friendly atmosphere of mutual admiration and praise continue or will obvious tribal lines be drawn once the collective playerbase fully commits their time and money to one project over another? Will the people working on the remaining unlaunched projects concede the field to the de facto "victors"? Perhaps I've simply become too cynical in my old(ish) age but I really can't see how things would continue to be "freely shared" amongst the projects once this critical tipping point has been reached. Sure the people involved may remain friendly towards one another, but as active companies I think the general "kumbaya-ness" of it all will eventually have to be put aside in the interest of running successful businesses that, like it or not, are fated to compete with each other at least to some degree.
CoH player from April 25, 2004 to November 30, 2012
[IMG=400x225]https://i.imgur.com/NHUthWM.jpeg[/IMG]
Thank you very much for all the input. It was very informative.