4 ms·
That is ... incredibly stupid. I'm no 40K fan (at all), but I realize it's huge. On the other hand, the concept of "marines, but in space" really is a genre tr
by unwind 14y ago
That is ... incredibly stupid.
I'm no 40K fan (at all), but I realize it's huge. On the other hand, the concept of "marines, but in space" really is a genre trope as pointed out in the article. It feels wrong for a single company to own that generic term.
I've read if not shelf-meters then certainly shelf-decimeters of SF with plenty of marines in them, none being of the Warhammer variety.
I'm looking forward (not) for the chilling effects to make authors invent new wordings to avoid infringement.
- CapitalistCartr 14y agoThey only "own" it because they're taking it. Space marines were used in science fiction before they did it. They're taking something that doesn't belong to them, by being much bigger than their opponent. The word for that is bullying.
- newbie12 14y agoHere's the Games Workshop customer support email: CustServ@gwplc.com Can't hurt to let them know we aren't pleased.
- hagios 14y agoCan't hurt, but I suspect it won't help. I wrote in, and it took less than two minutes to receive a response which basically said "write to legal, not to us." Here's to hoping I'm wrong and they listen to unhappy people.
- anthonyb 14y agolegal@gwplc.com (from http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=&categoryId=§ion=&pIndex=3&aId=3900002&start=4&multiPageMode=true http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=...)
- incision 14y ago>I've read if not shelf-meters then certainly shelf-decimeters of SF with plenty of marines in them, none being of the Warhammer variety. I've read at least a shelf-meter of books involving 40K space marines. As the article alludes, 40K space marines are called Adeptus Astartes or simply Astartes. This is one of things that makes this such a jackass move. Their own, licensed writing would seem to acknowledge "space marine" as generic.
- rodgerd 14y agoAnyone who read 2000 A.D. in the early 80s knows where the guts of Warhammer 40K was stolen from. (And Ridley Scott would like his Tyrannids back, please.) Be pure. Be vigilant. Behave.