Bethesda Softworks - Fallout Trademarked for TV, Films

Joystiq noticed this trademark filing:

Spotted on the US Patent and Trademark Office website recently were two suspicious trademarks filed by Bethesda Softworks, the folks behind the Elder Scrolls series and, most recently, Fallout 3. First, a trademark staking claim on the Fallout name for "entertainment services in the nature of an on-going television program," hinting pretty heavily at the possibility of a Fallout-themed … television program. Another filing secures the trademark for "motion picture films about a post-nuclear apocalyptic world." We imagine you get the gist of that one, eh?

More information.

Well I suppose there is no harm in trademarking it other than the cost to do so. Probably just pounding in the nails in Interplay's coffin.

I seriously doubt it will ever be on TV and just unlikely to be on the silver screen. I mean Terminator didn't last on TV and that exceeded every expectation I could possibly have for a sf show on Fox. Maybe Fallout as anime but I find that unlikely as well. We'll see in 5-10 years if they plan to do something with it.

I guess that means the folks who made the Mad Max and Terminator films didn't think to patent the concept. That's how it's done in the new millennium, apparently. You gotta be quick with the filings!

Hmmmmmm. I may go ahead and patent a few ideas of my own: Saving your money, getting a good education, and eating three square meals a day. This could be the right time to cash in!

Did Joystiq spot any other Fallout patents? Maybe Fallout hair-care products? Fallout bedding? Toothpaste?

It's trademarks so they are pretty worthless. Even more so if Uwe Boll is involved, which I guess is the only way to make a Fallout production.

Just hedging their legal assets I suppose. I think I remember they did similar things for TES some years ago.

First, spontaneous thought of mine:

"It's gone to their heads now !!!"

If they wanna be The Fallout Company, and no more The Elder Scrols Company, then good-night.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
Another filing secures the trademark for "motion picture films about a post-nuclear apocalyptic world." We imagine you get the gist of that one, eh?

What's their next move? Attempt a retroactive case against Planet of the Apes (1968) starring Charlton Heston? Indeed, that was a true "motion picture film about a post-nuclear apocalyptic world". F*** Bethesda.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
First, spontaneous thought of mine:

"It's gone to their heads now !!!"

If they wanna be The Fallout Company, and no more The Elder Scrols Company, then good-night.

I haven't played F3 but Fallout background seems to me less close to common CRPG setup and could offer more possibility for extending the license. Is it that bad to look at two horses?

The lawyers at Bethesda are just trying to justify their existence. As if they could trademark films about a post-nuclear apocalyptic world. Ridiculous.

Post apocalyptic stuff has an audience. The 50s retro stuff from Fallout is too cult to support a network series (unless they pull off some brilliant coup).

Edit - I supposed I could imagine it if they really hammed up the Blast from the Past angle.. maybe. But it'd have to be almost a comedy.

IMDb Pro lists a movie titled Fallout as being in development. According to IMDb Pro, the producers are Sriram Das, Ara Katz, and Art Spigel (of which the latter two produced George Romero's Diary of the Dead), and the writers are Milton Hernandez and Andre Fonseca. The plot summary is "In a post-apocalyptic world, three friends struggle to survive."

See also:

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_film

(Also covers Interplay's canceled Fallout movie project).

I guess that means the folks who made the Mad Max and Terminator films didn't think to patent the concept. That's how it's done in the new millennium, apparently. You gotta be quick with the filings!

Bethesda didn't patent it, they trademarked it. That is, they registered the trademark "Fallout" for "motion picture films about a post-nuclear apocalyptic world." They didn't patent the post-nuclear film idea in itself, just its use in connection with the title "Fallout".

Trademark is just a registered brand or logo or some such. MS nearly lost its TM on the Windows when they sued that Lindows guy because it was nearly proved the name was too mundane. I think they are different from copyrights. "I pity the fool" is owned by Mr. T but Paris Hilton failed to own the phrase, " {something} hot" I heard.

Copyright laws are recognized nearly everywhere but I'm not sure the same is true for TM's. Certainly patents aren't universal. ie. the idea of a Business Model being patented like Netflix or Magic the Gathering to many countries is absurd. But more often than not its just a tool for governments to protect local companies, like the RiM suit and the US and Canada granting the technology they use to different companies.

fortunately, its safe for us to buy yellow beans again

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas…-upo043008.php

only took them 9 years.

I wonder if Beth will sue the band Fall Out Boy?

I wonder if Beth will sue the band Fall Out Boy?

They have no trademark on music.

My god… can you imagine what it would be like? The first episode would be some moron running around like he has a pole up his ass, collecting bottles, cans, and sensors. At the end of the episode he attempts to sell it all, BUT FINDS OUT THE MERCHANT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH BOTTLE CAPS!!! Next episode could be 15 minutes of the lock picking mini game with maybe three lines of dialogue from one of the 6 NPCs with something to say in the game. Maybe they could say Frak too so the show could sound adult without actually being adult.

Sounds interesting. Ill be licking the tears of the "real" fanboys for this. Nice that fallout brand is truly alive like this.

Originally Posted by Bedwyr
Post apocalyptic stuff has an audience. The 50s retro stuff from Fallout is too cult to support a network series (unless they pull off some brilliant coup).

Edit - I supposed I could imagine it if they really hammed up the Blast from the Past angle.. maybe. But it'd have to be almost a comedy.

Well, they did make Jericho, which lasted for two seasons…

Maybe Bethesda just wants to make sure nobody else can use their property without a license from them. Imagine the upcoming Battlestar Galactica soap opera becomes a success, and suddenly some TV producer comes up with the idea of a post apoc soap for 1/3rd the budget.

Originally Posted by zakhal
Sounds interesting. Ill be licking the tears of the "real" fanboys for this. Nice that fallout brand is truly alive like this.

So what are you ? shill or just mentally challenged ? Else its just plain scary how braindead some people are. Really scary.

Originally Posted by tazpn
I seriously doubt it will ever be on TV and just unlikely to be on the silver screen. I

Really? 5 million copies shipped of fallout 3 already, and if they have an obsidian game & a second Bethesda game to really work the franchise that could easily push the brand awareness to 10-15 million, a pretty solid boost to initial audience figures for what doesn't exactly need to be a high budget HBO quality series.

Plus it doesn't need to be on tv for multiple, award winning high ratings series. Even a single series run or a miniseries would probably nearly break even on tv series costs and raise the profile to bump up future sales of fallout titles, the cross selling potential is immense.

Bethesda commented on the "why" in one of the interviews yesterday. They're only protecting their IP.