Tactical Studies Returns

Over on EnWorld, there’s considerable discussion over TSR LLC’s registration of a trademark for Star Frontiers. The short version is that they’ve validly done so, but US trademark law requires that you actually engage in commerce using the trademark within six months of granting. This is to keep people from registering lots of trademarks and just sitting on them. So the new TSR have to do that by 22-dec-2021, or the trademark becomes ownerless again.

Ernie Gygax seems to be the principal at NuTSR. He has a less than stellar record on delivering RPG projects (there’s a Kickstarter from six years ago that has not yet delivered its goods), There’s legal debate in the US at present about the effects of Kickstarter projects: does running one count as commerce, or do you have to actually deliver goods?

Hasbro and WotC definitely own all the copyrights on the existing Star Frontiers material. It’s even available in PDF, and has been for some years. They let the trademark lapse in 2004. Evil Hat Productions registered the trademark in 2017, but let it lapse after six months by not engaging in commerce.

So, will TSR LLC publish a new Star Frontiers within six months? I would not bet on it, even if I cared.

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