Minecraft Forums

Here is a past example of something like this happening.....when will people learn that you can't own a common word?

Dear Warner Brothers,
Apparently there is more than one way of conquering a city and holding it as your own. For example, up to the time that we contemplated making this picture, I had no idea that the city of Casablanca belonged exclusively to Warner Brothers. However, it was only a few days after our announcement appeared that we received your long, ominous legal document warning us not to use the name Casablanca.

It seems that in 1471, Ferdinand Balboa Warner, your great-great-grandfather, while looking for a shortcut to the city of Burbank, had stumbled on the shores of Africa and, raising his alpenstock (which he later turned in for a hundred shares of common), named it Casablanca.

I just don’t understand your attitude. Even if you plan on releasing your picture, I am sure that the average movie fan could learn in time to distinguish between Ingrid Bergman and Harpo. I don’t know whether I could, but I certainly would like to try.

You claim that you own Casablanca and that no one else can use that name without permission. What about “Warner Brothers”? Do you own that too? You probably have the right to use the name Warner, but what about the name Brothers? Professionally, we were brothers long before you were. We were touring the sticks as the Marx Brothers when Vitaphone was still a gleam in the inventor’s eye, and even before there had been other brothers—the Smith Brothers; the Brothers Karamazov; Dan Brothers, an outfielder with Detroit; and “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (This was originally “Brothers, Can You Spare a Dime?” but this was spreading a dime pretty thin, so they threw out one brother, gave all the money to the other one, and whittled it down to “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”)

Now Jack, how about you? Do you maintain that yours is an original name? Well it’s not. It was used long before you were born. Offhand, I can think of two Jacks—Jack of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and Jack the Ripper, who cut quite a figure in his day.

As for you, Harry, you probably sign your checks sure in the belief that you are the first Harry of all time and that all other Harrys are impostors. I can think of two Harrys that preceded you. There was Lighthouse Harry of Revolutionary fame and a Harry Appelbaum who lived on the corner of 93rd Street and Lexington Avenue. Unfortunately, Appelbaum wasn’t too well-known. The last I heard of him, he was selling neckties at Weber and Heilbroner.

Now about the Burbank studio. I believe this is what you brothers call your place. Old man Burbank is gone. Perhaps you remember him. He was a great man in a garden. His wife often said Luther had ten green thumbs. What a witty woman she must have been! Burbank was the wizard who crossed all those fruits and vegetables until he had the poor plants in such confused and jittery condition that they could never decide whether to enter the dining room on the meat platter or the dessert dish.

This is pure conjecture, of course, but who knows—perhaps Burbank’s survivors aren’t too happy with the fact that a plant that grinds out pictures on a quota settled in their town, appropriated Burbank’s name and uses it as a front for their films. It is even possible that the Burbank family is prouder of the potato produced by the old man than they are of the fact that your studio emerged “Casablanca” or even “Gold Diggers of 1931.”

This all seems to add up to a pretty bitter tirade, but I assure you it’s not meant to. I love Warners. Some of my best friends are Warner Brothers. It is even possible that I am doing you an injustice and that you, yourselves, know nothing about this dog-in-the-Wanger attitude. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to discover that the heads of your legal department are unaware of this absurd dispute, for I am acquainted with many of them and they are fine fellows with curly black hair, double-breasted suits and a love of their fellow man that out-Saroyans Saroyan.

I have a hunch that his attempt to prevent us from using the title is the brainchild of some ferret-faced shyster, serving a brief apprenticeship in your legal department. I know the type well—hot out of law school, hungry for success, and too ambitious to follow the natural laws of promotion. This bar sinister probably needled your attorneys, most of whom are fine fellows with curly black hair, double-breasted suits, etc., into attempting to enjoin us. Well, he won’t get away with it! We’ll fight him to the highest court! No pasty-faced legal adventurer is going to cause bad blood between the Warners and the Marxes. We are all brothers under the skin, and we’ll remain friends till the last reel of “A Night in Casablanca” goes tumbling over the spool.

Sincerely,

Groucho Marx

There's 4 reasons why Bethesda is being retarded
1. Its just 1 word, GET OVER IT BETHESDA!!!
2. Like 9deman9 said, You can't "own" a word, its a part of the english language, not a company
3. Ive seen the word scrolls everywhere including, movies, games, books, Ect. but why monjang? Its not like they did anything different to offend them.
4. Its an upcoming project. So the haven't done it yet so there's no reason to sue them now, because they might cancel the plans and keep the original title.

Bethesda, you are awesome at making amazing videogames and all, but this method of action just seeps down low for you guys... just real low, I'm sorry Bethesda, but you guys got nothin on what Notch is doing, so you should just forgive and forget

...really? actually, no, I take it back, Bethesda could be on to something; maybe valve could take some tips from them and use their left 4 dead series to sue the makers of dead space, dead rising, and red dead redemption for using the word "dead"! its also worth noting that not only "scrolls" is currently being used in MANY novels, movie series, ect. better sue them too!

The elder wand from the Harry Potter series will now be the tree twig

You can't ****ing copyright a word, you can't expect others to not go around and say or use the word, when someone says 'scrolls', Skyrim not gonna come to mind, think!

*agrees with Morbuzka*

seems bethseda softworks isn't getting enough attention so they must make themselves know as the ass-holes of the gaming industry.

well, this doesn't make any sense. I have seen over 9000 different games that use the word scroll in them, and bethesda isn't sueing them for it. Why Minecraft?

I really don't understand this. Normally something like this happens when a company feels that the name of a rival company's product will cause brand confusion and therefore prevent them from making money. They don't have to have the word copywriten, they just have to make the case that the other company is trying to confuse customers by using a similar name.

But who would confuse "The Elder Scrolls" with "Scroll"? Especially when nobody remembers the games as "The Elder Scrolls", but as "Morrowind", "Oblivion", or "Skyrim".

bethesda"s legal department is going to stir up some unneeded trouble with this.

Anyone Else's Bull*censored* Detector just go off? I would like to send a Present to Bethesda as a peace offering. Inside the box? Lets just say that when they open it... SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

Bull. ****. Bethesda, go pick on someone else, you have enough money. Gtfo

it's so good i know that their game making department has nothing to do with this or i would ****ing boycot theme and go get my money back for pre-ordering skyrim, they can blow it out their asses

that is the dumbest **** ever. lets make a game called "the elder guy"

wow

SCROLLS sue me

Quote from xsspy

that is the dumbest **** ever. lets make a game called "the elder guy"

i agree entirely

oh and u can only own phrases or words u made up