ArsTechnica has the details on how the Stardock and Star Control creators settled their differences with mead and honey.
More information.The settlement's details are public, and Ford & Reiche have a blog post on their site explaining things. In summary, though, the terms are simple and straightforward:
Wait... what?
- All existing lawsuits between Stardock and Ford & Reiche are dismissed with prejudice (this simply means the suits cannot be re-litigated).
- All parties are responsible for their own attorney's fees.
- Stardock gets to use the Star Control name for its Star Control Origins game and can develop sequels and DLCs as it likes.
- Ford & Reiche get to continue to develop their own direct Ur-Quan Masters sequel (which was previously called Ghosts of the Precursors but will be renamed).
- The Star Control Origins universe (now known as "the Star Control franchise") will continue in a disconnected bubble from the Ur-Quan Masters/Ghosts of the Precursors universe (now known as "the Ur-Quan Masters franchise").
- Reiche will contribute some writing to the Origins universe in a volunteer role.
- All of the complicated arguments about who owns which copyrights and trademarks and who they bought them from and when and what's copyrightable and what's not are mooted. (Which is great because it means I don't have to re-summarize the mountain of IP arguments that both sides were making!)
- The original three Star Control games can continue to be sold on other storefronts, including Stardock's, and Stardock will split revenue from those games' sales with Ford & Reiche.
- No licensing money changed hands.
- Brad Wardell of Stardock must furnish Paul Reiche with a specific amount of honey from Wardell's apiary.
- In turn, Paul Reiche must furnish Brad Wardell with a specific amount of mead brewed from Wardell's bees' honey.
Yeah, the last bit kind of threw me, too.
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