Elder Scrolls MERP (Middle Earth Skyrim TC) got C&D-ed by WB

[Infinitron]

Re: Third Age Total War

It's possible that they would have liked to C&D it, but they discovered it too late and it's now considered a fait accompli.

 

[Data4]

Damn shame. I was ambivalent about the Oblivion-based one, but they've improved their skills and the Skyrim-based screens looked pretty fucking sweet.

 

[taxalot]

This project would never have been completed anyway. Morrowind Rebuilt is still going on and it is of far lesser scope. I do agree that they should have tried to stay below the radar though. Indie developpers are more looking for superstar status these days though.

 

[octavius]

That's where the "obsessed with getting your name in the limelight" part kicks in. If you are doing something someone might be willing to put a stop to, do that anonymously.

Still, nothing prevents them from going underground at any given moment, then pretend their source had leaked and eventually finished by an unknown third party. Not even all the attorneys in the universe can prove they are to blame. Hell, if I were those modders, I'd be uploading the project in its current state on TPB as we speak. Once it is there, it is free for all, and WB can only spit or swallow.

Ah but they can't do that, because "hiding in anonymity wouldn’t work because due to the great ambitions MERP needs publicity to sustain the life force of the team" (from this article).

That is, they want that internets cred too much to go anonymous.

Anons get no cyber groupies.

Damn shame. I was ambivalent about the Oblivion-based one, but they've improved their skills and the Skyrim-based screens looked pretty fucking sweet.

I tried the Oblivion one once, and some of the landscape was spectacular, especially part of the Misty Mountains.

 

[Zewp]

They're probably just angry because all of their official Lord of the Rings games suck.

Still waiting for the assholes responsible for War in the North to fix it so I can actually play it on my Ati card.

 

[IDtenT]

I just had a thought, base it on The Silmarillion? WB does not hold the rights to that.

 

[kris]

I just had a thought, base it on The Silmarillion? WB does not hold the rights to that.

When it comes to rights of the setting WB don't have much to go on. The problem here is the art assets. I just checked through the screenshots and they made weapons and locations that look just like in the movies. Regardless of how silly this sounds to a normal person, that is were they got their legal right.

 

[Average Manatee]

I just had a thought, base it on The Silmarillion? WB does not hold the rights to that.

When it comes to rights of the setting WB don't have much to go on. The problem here is the art assets. I just checked through the screenshots and they made weapons and locations that look just like in the movies. Regardless of how silly this sounds to a normal person, that is were they got their legal right.

Surely the copyright for that is owned by the Tolkien Estate though? They only sold the film rights AFAIK, which means unless someone literally copy and pasted something from the movie then WB can't do a thing. Simply making it look like the movie wouldn't mean a thing because both are being based off the book source material.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Yeah, both the movie and the game are based off the book source material, but the mod's visuals are obviously based on the movies, therefore C&D from Warner.

 

[kris]

What CK said. The visual representation as in the movie is were its at. They could easily made a treebeard that didn't look as in the movies or weapons that wasn't exact copies, they didn't and had to pay the price. I think they could get around that by changing things... but not sure they will bother.

Modders should just choose to make original things instead, is more interesting and they sure have the technical talent. Maybe the creative one is missing...

 

[Trojan_generic]

Only read this old news now.

Hmmm... if Zenimax/Bethesda anyway owns the rights to ALL modded content, shouldn't they just release the mod and let WB and Zenimax do the fighting afterwards? This is such a stupid idea it might work.

I vaguely remember that at least Oblivion mods belonged to Zenimax or something, I don't remember the details anymore.

 

[Gord]

Just found an update from their moddb page on the C&D situation:

So, the bit every one wants to know about, how is the C&D situation going?
Well, we were in contact with WB's attourney before Christmas, but haven't spoken to them for about a month due to the holidays. We hope to get back into negotiations soon, but because of their other lawsuit with Tolkien Enterprises, we've been swept under the rug a little. It looks more hopeful than a few months ago, I'll put it like that. The negotiations are currently under an NDA, which is why we don't post much anymore, but the team are still actively fighting for MERP.

 

[deuxhero]

Only read this old news now.

Hmmm... if Zenimax/Bethesda anyway owns the rights to ALL modded content, shouldn't they just release the mod and let WB and Zenimax do the fighting afterwards? This is such a stupid idea it might work.

I vaguely remember that at least Oblivion mods belonged to Zenimax or something, I don't remember the details anymore.

I know some loli mods. Can we sic Canada and Australia on Zenimax?

 

[Garm]

Pretty sure it's bullshit about Zenimax owning user-created mods...the TOS may say that, but I doubt it'd hold up in court. It's like saying Microsoft owns any story every typed up in Word or that Lego owns anything someone builds out of Legos.

 

[groke]

FFS, why do all these shitty LotR projects have to ape the trite visuals of the films?! What I wouldn't give to see a LotR game in the style of:

 

[General Maxson]

FFS, why do all these shitty LotR projects have to ape the trite visuals of the films?! What I wouldn't give to see a LotR game in the style of:

Hey bro, where's that pic from?

 

[Cosmo]

Ian Miller's illustration of LotR ?
Her's another one (Balrog) :

 

[groke]

Hey bro, where's that pic from?

It's by Ian Miller, he did a bunch of Tolkien-inspired illustrations, but I don't know where they originate from. I have this book that has his work and heaps of other amazing pre-New Line Cinema Middle-Earth art.

EDIT:
Here's some more great stuff from the same book:
More Miller -
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FKfwjMwhclo/TkrDHnVqTwI/AAAAAAAAAF0/EKGCwaocm2c/s1600/HPIM0978.JPG

Linda Garland -
http://25.media.tumblr.com/9180e61166906d643b2c18960f6f9998/tumblr_mhjykj62w41qzld7wo1_1280.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6vdgxPTW81qh0umfo1_1280.png

John Blanche (who, along with Miller, set the stylistic tone for Warhammer in the 80's) -
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dw7VQ2Uog...AAow/m5A0y02RXms/s1600/bg-john-blanche-23.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GJQ8nptuhU0/TkrCzwE34sI/AAAAAAAAAFw/ssQ85PTIxuM/s1600/HPIM0979.JPG

Michael Foreman -
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lu61l3HUaD1qgzdhjo1_1280.jpg

 

[LeStryfe79]

Why is there incline in this thread?