Possible Northrop Torpedo headed Matrix's Way?

[doomonyou]

All US patents and trademarks become public domain after a set time (pharmaceuticals in 17 years with a possible 7 yeare extention or public trademarks in 50 years, IIRC). Since the latest you could assume any WWII items were made was 1945 that means that no less than sixty years has passed since the item was created and in all likelyhood, more than that. I would doubt that any of the trademarks or patents are still valid and have not passed into public domain, disney has worked for years with very special wrangling and political hammering to extent the mickey mouse trademark, but even still its almost about to expire. I strongly doubt that northrop grumman took such massive investments in time and effort to protect the trademark of a name of a plane whose last physical representitive was scrapped 40 plus years ago.

[Strv103C]

ORIGINAL: BlackVoid

I would call the plane something crappy and make them look a bit more ugly.

Then make it moddable.....

That would probably be wise if this situation comes up. Some private persons might make a mod. The developer can say "we can't help that there are shameless private persons making mods " (fingers crossed). They can of corse try to sue a private person somewhere in the world, hehe..

[pad152]

Northrop Corp

Northrop Corp must be in sad shape if they have nothing better to due than sue game companies.

I can just see it now, gun companies sue all the makers of FPS (First Person Shooters) for using their guns in games [:D]

The lawyers have a better chance of sueing hollywood for using guns in movies and TV without permission from the gun makers.

[Brady]

I thought some gun companys had already sued soem game developers?, forcing them to re-name many guns in some games??

[adsoul]

You guys think we'll have to pay Mr.HTML for using this forum? [;)]

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: kverdon

M10Bob,

Thanks, for the link to the train-board post. Though a Model Railroad and aware of the UP issue that has come up, I was on vacation and missed the news about the Supreme Court ruling. The ruling may do some good but the truth is that Northrop did force the Software producer to pay a licensing fee that they then deducted from the developer. The end result is that the small developer has refused to add any new planes from Vought/Grumman/Republic to their simulation. Hence, for example, though this a simulation of the Pacific war, there are no flyable US torpedo planes now nor will there be. The Supreme Court ruling could still not keep Northrop from coming after companies like Matrix as they could still sue them knowing that the Matrix would have to give in as they may not be able to afford going to court to win. I really hope someone takes Northrop to court and stops this craziness before it gets out of hand.

Partner......I provided two links...
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/g ... vol=03-409

[Brausepaul]

ORIGINAL: Brady

I thought some gun companys had already sued soem game developers?, forcing them to re-name many guns in some games??

Yepp, that's right. Counter-Strike doesn't have real weapon designations anymore.

[Ron Saueracker]

Let's go kick the stuffing out of a lawyer the next time we see one using a cell in a restaurant just on principle. Friggin leaches. Mama told me to never try to get ahead by stepping on others, but that's all these dudes do.[:@]

[Brady]

It's Nuts realy, the folks who would buy these games would likely be the kind to appricate these companys more if they were alowed to use their real names, even considering that in the case of the planes thier over 60 years old, it still could be construed as a posative public relations angle...err free advertising, n0t i supose that they realy nead it but heck this is just Nuttz, we should tell our congresmman to drop all backing for Northrup and go Boing:)

I woundr how many flight sim geaks work for Northrup, and if their just as ticked as the rest of us?

[Platoonist]

Awww geez. I guess this explains all those generic car makes in Grand Theft Auto. At this rate someday all legitimate commerce and industry will be shut down. The economy will just revolve around litigation.

[m10bob]

Hey guys,did any of you even look at my threads???.There is NO reason for this thread!!!!!!!!!!
The supreme court already ruled on Dec 8th the onus is on the alleged victim to prove corporations(I.E.:game companies in particular) meant to represent themselves as agents of the alleged victims!!!!!!!!!)..
Everybody can put their hostility and torches away,Frankenstein is dead........JEEEEEZ..
I won't waste more ink on this thread..Stop feeding the frenzy..Go cause panic elsewhere...........[:-]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: m10bob

Hey guys,did any of you even look at my threads???.There is NO reason for this thread!!!!!!!!!!
The supreme court already ruled on Dec 8th the onus is on the alleged victim to prove corporations(I.E.:game companies in particular) meant to represent themselves as agents of the alleged victims!!!!!!!!!)..
Everybody can put their hostility and torches away,Frankenstein is dead........JEEEEEZ..
I won't waste more ink on this thread..Stop feeding the frenzy..Go cause panic elsewhere...........[:-]

That may be true M10...but what is there to stop a deep pocket from tormenting little people? [8D]

There is the option of generic ships and planes...ie...P-39 becomes "early war single-engine in-line piston driven fighter of US origin" **(any resemblance to historical aircraft is unintended..the publisher admonsihes grognards to resist their native tendancies and not invoke the name of historical aircraft)

[dtravel]

ORIGINAL: Platoonist

Awww geez. I guess this explains all those generic car makes in Grand Theft Auto. At this rate someday all legitimate commerce and industry will be shut down. The economy will just revolve around litigation.

And you are basing your belief that it doesn't already on what exactly? [;)]

[byron13]

ORIGINAL: Strv103C

ORIGINAL: Mike Scholl

The US justice system is very simple to understand. All aspects of it were written
by lawyers for lawyers, and justice has NOTHING to do with it. It's not about who
has the best case, but who's lawyers have the best bullsh1t. Name me one other
nation in the world who's "Justice System" could LEGALLY find O.J. Simpson both
guilty AND innocent of the SAME CRIME?

I've lived here all my life, and the only way I've ever found of understanding the
US judicial system is to think of it as a social welfare program for lawyers.

I can name Sweden. The killer of the Swedesh Prime minister in 1985 was convicted in a cort but was freed in another. He was freed in a higher court but I don't know if this was the case with OJ. Another thing I heard, from an american friend, is that they are building water pipelines in the desert bordering Mexico because some illegal immigrants died from dehydration there. A court found the state guilty and they must now build said pipelines so that the illegal immigrants can survive the trip. Can anyone confirm this?

On a visit to San Diego we drove through the desert and saw blue barrels with flags sticking out of them along the road every mile or so. We stopped to look in side the barrel, and there were about five one-gallon jugs of water. We immediately concluded that it was for illegals lost in the desert. Whether that was mandated or some private effort, I don't know.

As for O.J., different verdicts makes sense to me. A higher standard of proof applied in the criminal proceeding. It's the difference between "he probably did it" and "he undoubtedly did it."

[Strv103C]

ORIGINAL: byron13

On a visit to San Diego we drove through the desert and saw blue barrels with flags sticking out of them along the road every mile or so. We stopped to look in side the barrel, and there were about five one-gallon jugs of water. We immediately concluded that it was for illegals lost in the desert. Whether that was mandated or some private effort, I don't know.

As for O.J., different verdicts makes sense to me. A higher standard of proof applied in the criminal proceeding. It's the difference between "he probably did it" and "he undoubtedly did it."

Thanks for the answer. When my friend told me about it I thought that it must be an urban legend or something, couldn't believe it but it was true it seems.

[panda124c]

Gee do you think we should start a support group for the Wildcats, Cosairs, Privateers, and Mustangs, these animals/people deserve the protection from mega corporation using their names for their products and not paying them for the right. I smell megabucks.

[:D]

[Ron Saueracker]

ORIGINAL: pbear

Gee do you think we should start a support group for the Wildcats, Cosairs, Privateers, and Mustangs, these animals/people deserve the protection from mega corporation using their names for their products and not paying them for the right. I smell megabucks.

[:D]

I'd buy a T-shirt just to make visible the depths of lunacy out legal system is now entering.

[anarchyintheuk]

On behalf of lawyers, I'd just like to say that property rights must be defended. I just disagree that Northrop has a property right in this instance and, even if they did, I'd like to see exactly what damages Northrop suffered. There are already enuff companies whose copyrights, IP, etc. are ripped-off in places like China. In fact, one of the arguments China uses when it actually admits that it occurs there is that US companies do not do enuff to protect their copyrights, trademarks, IP, etc. so why should China enforce it for them.

As to some of the other stuff like "millions of dollars awarded in damages" crap, if you can prove that you suffered x amount in economic damages, by God and the Constitution you have a right to redress. Just kidding about the God part, thought is sounded more like Chuck Heston would have said it.

Feel free to go back to the "I can't believe how much the US justice system sux" thread. [:)]

[freeboy]

No problem with LAwyers or anyone else who does what is "right" its the scum sucking leaches that have most interested parties crying for tort reform in the us!
not directed at you or even lawyers in general... in bad apple etc

and I totally agree on property rights as a writer, we would have no culture of learning if we had not had an understanding of property rights as our heritage in this country

[PBYPilot]

ORIGINAL: freeboy

No problem with LAwyers or anyone else who does what is "right" its the scum sucking leaches that have most interested parties crying for tort reform in the us!
not directed at you or even lawyers in general... in bad apple etc

Yes, indeed. Alas, it's the scum sucking 95% that give the other 5% a bad name. [;)][:D]