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Old 08-27-2022, 12:00 PM   #1
Tom Mazanec
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Default Why IST instead of IMT?

Why does the metahuman organization get called IST? And how does Steve Jackson Games avoid a copyright lawsuit from DC Comics and/or Marvel Comics?
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Old 08-27-2022, 12:34 PM   #2
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Why IST instead of IMT?

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Originally Posted by Tom Mazanec View Post
Why does the metahuman organization get called IST? And how does Steve Jackson Games avoid a copyright lawsuit from DC Comics and/or Marvel Comics?
The word "superhero" is in theory trademarked. The word "supers" is not. Not that they even send the threatening letters to people who aren't publishing comics anyway.

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Old 08-27-2022, 03:34 PM   #3
Refplace
 
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Default Re: Why IST instead of IMT?

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Originally Posted by Tom Mazanec View Post
Why does the metahuman organization get called IST? And how does Steve Jackson Games avoid a copyright lawsuit from DC Comics and/or Marvel Comics?
International Super Teams is pretty generic and I do not see a strong correlation to anything done by any comic company.
For example JSA and JLA might work against someone using Justice in an acronym but unless it was an exact match very unlikely to win. Certainly they can't trademark "America" as part of those names.
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Old 08-27-2022, 11:40 PM   #4
WingedKagouti
 
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Default Re: Why IST instead of IMT?

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For example JSA and JLA might work against someone using Justice in an acronym but unless it was an exact match very unlikely to win.
Sometimes the goal is not to have a strong enough case to win in court, but rather to be able to drag proceedings out long enough that the opposing side collapses financially. Publishing a comic book with a team called Justice Powers of the Americas (or something similar) would almost certainly see legal action from WB.
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Old 08-28-2022, 12:36 PM   #5
Anaraxes
 
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Default Re: Why IST instead of IMT?

"Metahuman" was trademarked by Epic Games, Inc. DC or Marvel would have to stand in line to sue over that particular word.

"Super" is pretty generic, even if "Superman" is a trademark.
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Old 08-28-2022, 01:12 PM   #6
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: Why IST instead of IMT?

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"Metahuman" was trademarked by Epic Games, Inc. k.
Epic games would probably find their trademark gone. There have been "metas' on TV for a decade or more and maybe longer in comics.
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Old 08-28-2022, 01:45 PM   #7
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Why IST instead of IMT?

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"Metahuman" was trademarked by Epic Games, Inc. DC or Marvel would have to stand in line to sue over that particular word.

"Super" is pretty generic, even if "Superman" is a trademark.
Words are trademarked for specific applications. Epic Games would only have a case against other software designers who marketed software that had "Metahuman" in their name.
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