Hope you guys weren't too excited about seeing "Underworld"......

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
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Cuz' it may never make it to theaters if this lawsuit isn't resolved.

Plaintiffs claim over 60 points of unique similarity between Underworld and their work. "Ours is a huge fictional world, supported by over 200 volumes of fictional material," asserts Mike Tinney, White Wolf?s President. "It?s infuriating to see Underworld?s script riddled with our property." Plaintiffs also claim that Underworld?s entire plot is based on Collins? short story Love of Monsters. "Apparently they are marketing this as a remake of Romeo and Juliet," comments Collins. "What I think they really mean is that it?s an on-screen adaptation of my story."
 

Feldenak

Lifer
Jan 31, 2003
14,090
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Originally posted by: Fausto1
Cuz' it may never make it to theaters if this lawsuit isn't resolved.

Plaintiffs claim over 60 points of unique similarity between Underworld and their work. "Ours is a huge fictional world, supported by over 200 volumes of fictional material," asserts Mike Tinney, White Wolf?s President. "It?s infuriating to see Underworld?s script riddled with our property." Plaintiffs also claim that Underworld?s entire plot is based on Collins? short story Love of Monsters. "Apparently they are marketing this as a remake of Romeo and Juliet," comments Collins. "What I think they really mean is that it?s an on-screen adaptation of my story."

I was wondering when White Wolf was going to jump on that movie.
 

Maetryx

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
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I wondered if it was a COLLABORATION between White Wolf and the producers. The campaign setting for the role playing games Werewolf the Appocalypse and Vampire the Masquerade is called the "World of Darkness" setting. The similarities are undeniable. Vampires vs. werewolves is the main basis of White Wolf's top selling game books and novels.

That said, I don't know if anyone can actually trademark, copyright, patent or make intellectual property out of the notion of vampires fighting werewolves. But again, the artwork and gothic tone of the books seems to have been completely reproduced in the movie trailers. I honestly thought that White Wolf was working with the movie makers.
 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
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Originally posted by: PatboyX
what a tool. get over yourself.
Hey, they're a small outfit and Sony figured no one would notice if they blatantly ripped them off. I hope they win the suit, personally.

 

Feldenak

Lifer
Jan 31, 2003
14,090
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Originally posted by: Fausto1
Originally posted by: PatboyX
what a tool. get over yourself.
Hey, they're a small outfit and Sony figured no one would notice if they blatantly ripped them off. I hope they win the suit, personally.

Me too. :)

Sony could use a nice swift kick in the shorts.
 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
26,521
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Originally posted by: amnesiac
I see nothing about the studio halting its release. Keep crying wolf.

HA! I MAKE PUN!
I made the assumption that there would have to be some kind of settlement prior to the opening date. I could very well be wrong since I don't speak legalese.

 

FuZoR

Diamond Member
Sep 22, 2001
4,422
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you mean someone else already came up with vampires with guns and matrix style clothing ??? damn!

 

Glitchny

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2002
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White Wolf isnt that small of an outfit having hundreds of books and multiple games made out of their ideas/intellectual property. I played WOD for 4-5 years and the first thing that came to mind when i saw the trailer for underworld was "Sweet someone made a WOD movie" little did i know it had nothing to do with WW but everything to do with their settings.
 

Hubris

Platinum Member
Jul 14, 2001
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Bah. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. These ideas are part of folklore; no one has a trademark on them. Dark, gritty, underworldly worlds are nothing new, either. Putting them together does not mean infringement.
 

Glitchny

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2002
5,679
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Originally posted by: Hubris
Bah. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. These ideas are part of folklore; no one has a trademark on them. Dark, gritty, underworldly worlds are nothing new, either. Putting them together does not mean infringement.

acording to the lawsuit page that is in the link they arent saying the idea is theirs but that the story mirrors almost exactly certain parts in their books, etc. And copying someones storyline out of a book is copyright infringment
 

MaxDepth

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2001
8,757
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I dunno. Unless they can cite chapter and verse, it'll be hard to claim copyright infringement since they themselves (White Wolf) are using public domain material.

Now if they had a script published by the screen writer's guild (it is actually very easy to do, even if you are not a member.), then they may have better traction in court. Eddie Murphy was sued and eventually had to pay for infringement to a well known op ed writer because he had a script already registered to the guild with many plot points that matched up with "Coming to America." (geez, can't be that well known if I can't remember his name. Art Buchwald, perhaps?)

It'll be interesting to see how it pans out because it hasn't made IMDB or headlines yet.
 

Cerb

Elite Member
Aug 26, 2000
17,484
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Originally posted by: Fausto1
Cuz' it may never make it to theaters if this lawsuit isn't resolved.

Plaintiffs claim over 60 points of unique similarity between Underworld and their work. "Ours is a huge fictional world, supported by over 200 volumes of fictional material," asserts Mike Tinney, White Wolf?s President. "It?s infuriating to see Underworld?s script riddled with our property." Plaintiffs also claim that Underworld?s entire plot is based on Collins? short story Love of Monsters. "Apparently they are marketing this as a remake of Romeo and Juliet," comments Collins. "What I think they really mean is that it?s an on-screen adaptation of my story."
Oh, it will make it to theaters. This WW at their best and worst. Hopefully they'll make a lawsuit with the same quality as their hardback books :D
 

Cerb

Elite Member
Aug 26, 2000
17,484
33
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Originally posted by: Glitchny
White Wolf isnt that small of an outfit having hundreds of books and multiple games made out of their ideas/intellectual property. I played WOD for 4-5 years and the first thing that came to mind when i saw the trailer for underworld was "Sweet someone made a WOD movie" little did i know it had nothing to do with WW but everything to do with their settings.

Compared to anyone who can make a movie that might go to theaters, they are VERY small, and have extremely low profit margins (it's their fault, but still true).
 

Cerb

Elite Member
Aug 26, 2000
17,484
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Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis
Originally posted by: Feldenak
Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis
too bad the game sucked (v:tm)

The computer game was bad but the lawsuit is about their tabletop game.

i'm referring to the ccg

Ew, both of those are terrible. I don't like all the rolling in the TT, but....those two things there are just WRONG. Of course so is people being gullible enough to buy 30-some-odd splat books.
 

PunDogg

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2002
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Originally posted by: Feldenak
Originally posted by: Fausto1
Originally posted by: PatboyX
what a tool. get over yourself.
Hey, they're a small outfit and Sony figured no one would notice if they blatantly ripped them off. I hope they win the suit, personally.

Me too. :)

Sony could use a nice swift kick in the shorts.

yeah RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, but i agree, Sony needs kicked square in the nuts

Dogg