UPDATE NOTE
There seems to be some (understandable) confusion in regards to where the lawsuit is coming from. To clarify, "Bethesda Softworks" (publisher and developer of game titles) and "Bethesda Game Studios" (Creators of games like Oblivion, Skyrim etc.) are not the same entity. BGS is an in-house game-making team led by Todd Howard which is one part of Bethesda Softworks, and has no direct connection to the lawsuit in progress by Bethesda Softworks. Unless further specified by the acronym "BGS", any references to Bethesda in the following article assume "Bethesda Softworks". Sorry about the confusion!
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Mojang has been in development of another project (which we went over in our last installment), which bears the working name "Scrolls". Bethesda has expressed concern that players could mix up this new game with their own "Elder Scrolls" series, although the two seem to share no noticeable similarities beyond the word "scrolls".
Notch said that their office received a 15-page cease-and-desist letter, claiming that Mojang would be sued for rights to the word, along with formal requests for legal fees. He went on to say that they are attempting to establish talks with Bethesda regarding the word, to find an amicable solution for both parties. At the time of this writing, there was no available response from Bethesda.
We will continue to update this article as information becomes available.
Notch said that their office received a 15-page cease-and-desist letter, claiming that Mojang would be sued for rights to the word, along with formal requests for legal fees. He went on to say that they are attempting to establish talks with Bethesda regarding the word, to find an amicable solution for both parties. At the time of this writing, there was no available response from Bethesda.
We will continue to update this article as information becomes available.
My 2 cents. Good day all.
Bethesda and Mojang AB almost came to a peaceful resolution when they agreed that Notch would not put anything in front of the name of his game Scrolls. However, negotiations broke off soon afterward. Then, Notch recieved a fifteen page letter from a Swedish law firm ordering him to cease and desist using 'Scrolls' in any and all of his games, and demanding a big pile of money before legal proceedings even started.
It seems that a clash between the David and Goliath of the PC gaming industry is imminent, unless either party loses their nerve. It will be Notch's first time dealing with a hostile legal opponent, and the results will be interesting to say the least. Let's hope that it won't change Mojang's laissez-faire approach to its community, and that Mojang won't be driven into bankruptcy if it loses.
Notch, if you can hear me, don't do anything rash!
-Duxwing
I wouldn't say that "scrolls" is a common word. How often do you use "scrolls" in a conversation ?
Plus, I "scrolled" to the bottom of this page.
*sigh* Be mature about it, please, and at least spell scrotum correctly.