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It seemed a bit heavy handed of Blizzard to force FFG to scrub their website clean.

Show me where it says that Blizzard forced FFG to do anything, or indeed that Blizzard took any sort of action at all.

It seemed a bit heavy handed of Blizzard to force FFG to scrub their website clean. Especially the support forums and user collections. It makes one fear they will turn their eye on BGG next. Could we get into a situation on licensed games that the owners start flooding websites with Cease & Desist orders?

The first thing I did after seeing this is download all the manual & FAQ pdf's so I can have an archive copy of them.

There is no evidence that Blizzard was NOT behind the purge either.

Edit: What do I think would be the best way to handle this in the original license? Perhaps the parties could have agreed that once the license ends, FFG would remove all of the graphical marks, but leave up the archived forums with conspicuous disclaimers that the license has expired and there is no continuing relationship. Alternately, the old forums and documents could have been copied to Blizzard's site, with FFG redirecting there. There are other possibilities that avoid any likelihood of consumer confusion, while maintaining the support content that built up over ten years.

There is no evidence that Blizzard was NOT behind the purge either.

Notably, FFG continues to list "StarCraft" among its board games. So unless they create their own board game counterpart to "StarCraft II", I would guess that they have another few years on that license (if the licenses are indeed given for a proscribed period of time, like 10 years).

In my limited experience, when FFG decides to quit selling a game, *poof* it always disappears in a puff of smoke. No hint of the game left behind, no support forums, no archived rulebooks... nothing.

Maybe Blizzard bought the FFG rights to sell the boardgames, instead of letting it go by the wayside?

Wha... I don't even...

Why would FFG removal all references of the games and the support forums? That's just HORRIBLE customer service. I don't care if they lost the license or what, they should at least leave it up for those who HAVE the game even if they aren't selling it anymore.

Just lame.

I stand corrected. Reading over the full text of the document does not mention this. Though it seems strange they'd pull all their FAQ's and support forums without prompting.

When you take in to account that Blizzrd/Activision have also taken Guitar Hero out the back and shot it, it looks like they are gearing up for something. Might be they are wanting to pool their resources in to Titan or it could be just normal every day cost cutting.

Shall be interesting to see what happens over the next few months. Especially with Modern Warfare 3 rumored.

Perhaps an unintended side effect of a database modification of their product DB?

The next question:
Is is possible for BGG to host the last FAQs for these games?

I was looking at some of the FFG FAQ documents in my collection, and there is no copyright asserted on any of them. FFG certainly cannot distribute them, but they could POSSIBLY provide permission to post them in a publicly accessible place.

The next question:
Is is possible for BGG to host the last FAQs for these games?

I was looking at some of the FFG FAQ documents in my collection, and there is no copyright asserted on any of them. FFG certainly cannot distribute them, but they could POSSIBLY provide permission to post them in a publicly accessible place.

Copyright exists independently of whether it is asserted. In the United States, the requirement to declare "Copyright [YEAR OF COPYRIGHT] [COPYRIGHT HOLDER'S NAME], All Rights Reserved" as a pre-condition to an enforceable copyright ended on January 1, 1978.

If FFG has no copyright or trademark license, they cannot provide permission. They could say "here go host these under Fair Use" or "here go host these because there is no likelihood of consumer confusion", but those rights exist in the public by operation of law, so FFG's permission, refusal of permission, or ambivalence is completely irrelevant.

- Neil Wehneman


Edit: clarified by adding "in the public"; FFG could have given up their Fair Use or other rights by contract with Blizzard

Does this also mean that in theory Blizzard could pull a GamesWorkshop and have all Blizzard related game files removed under copyright laws?

Now, under the DMCA, there's a special safe harbor for ISPs hosting potentially infringing content. They receive a special type of Demand Letter (sometimes called a notice-and-takedown letter), and if the ISP takes the material down in a certain period of time, they can't be held liable for any infringement, even if the demander ends up suing. (The actual infringer, i.e. the uploader, remains liable.)

There's significantly more to the DMCA notice-and-takedown provisions than that, but those are the parts that tend to play out.

I've been checking into this a bit lately because FFG sent a DMCA take down notice to Apple regarding Hey, That's My Fish! clone called Honey That's Mine.

It seems pretty simple to me. Party A puts something on a site. Party B feels Party A is infringing their copyright and so sends a take down notice to the site. Site receives notice and must take down material. Party A can send a counter-notice and if so, site may put material back up. If Party A sends a counter-notice and Party B does not file suit with 14 days, site is required to put material back up.

(g) Replacement of Removed or Disabled Material and Limitation on Other Liability.—

(1) No liability for taking down generally.— Subject to paragraph (2), a service provider shall not be liable to any person for any claim based on the service provider’s good faith disabling of access to, or removal of, material or activity claimed to be infringing or based on facts or circumstances from which infringing activity is apparent, regardless of whether the material or activity is ultimately determined to be infringing.

(2) Exception.— Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to material residing at the direction of a subscriber of the service provider on a system or network controlled or operated by or for the service provider that is removed, or to which access is disabled by the service provider, pursuant to a notice provided under subsection (c)(1)(C), unless the service provider—

(A) takes reasonable steps promptly to notify the subscriber that it has removed or disabled access to the material;

(B) upon receipt of a counter notification described in paragraph (3), promptly provides the person who provided the notification under subsection (c)(1)(C) with a copy of the counter notification, and informs that person that it will replace the removed material or cease disabling access to it in 10 business days; and

(C) replaces the removed material and ceases disabling access to it not less than 10, nor more than 14, business days following receipt of the counter notice, unless its designated agent first receives notice from the person who submitted the notification under subsection (c)(1)(C) that such person has filed an action seeking a court order to restrain the subscriber from engaging in infringing activity relating to the material on the service provider’s system or network.

I think you mean Mayfair, not FFG.

The counter-notice provisions don't come into play that often (most subscribers walk away after the take-down)

Which is a real shame if in fact they are in the right and simply don't understand their legal rights and/or the proper procedures.

Which is a real shame if in fact they are in the right and simply don't understand their legal rights and/or the proper procedures.

I asked FFG. The reply:

Frank:

FFG will not stop you from posting the materials we offered on our website on gaming-related sites such as BGG.

Thanks,

Jeremy Stomberg



This makes things pretty clear. Their license terminated, they had to purge ANYTHING with Warcraft trademarks from their website, promotional materials....etc...etc. They can't distribute them anymore in any manner.

But it is not clear whether Blizzard would stop the posting?

But it is not clear whether Blizzard would stop the posting?

Sorry dudes, gotta tell you the liberating truth: those board-games had never existed at all!
Check out wiky ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_Flight_Games )..not a note of them !and wiki's never wrong okay
(Considering a possibility that entire human-geek race was fooled by matrix hallucinations or something and what's in our shelves is kind of residual meta-existence or what, isn't it)

Well that does say "Current Products".

But really, maybe the FFG lawyer just said "take it down to be safe".

Very likely.

Interestingly, the FFG games are still available for sale in Blizzard's web store.

Awesome, I really enjoy Campaign Manager. I love Yucata.

Interestingly, the FFG games are still available for sale in Blizzard's web store.

Where? I was looking the other day, and again now, but I find nothing.