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Bethesda vs. Interplay case finally settled
War. War never changes. And neither, it appeared, would the long-running legal dispute between Bethesda and Interplay over the rights to the Fallout IP. For years, it seems, we've been reporting on this courtroom tug-o-war between the companies which has kept the fate of Fallout Online in limbo. Well it looks like it is finally over, one way or another. An administrator on the Fallout fan site Duck and Cover says that a settlement has been reached although the details have yet to emerge to the public: Today, DAC has confirmation that a settlement has, in fact, taken place. It actually took place the day of the trial -- and had I been able to get online and sort through the documents I would have reported as much. We do not yet have the details of the settlement -- they will be announced this month (January 2012) -- but we can report that on the day of trial, the atmosphere in the court room was tense until the judge recessed. This recess was extended, and then they recessed for lunch. After the lunch recess, the court room was locked to everyone except attorneys and clients. When our source asked why this was the case, our source was told it was because they were working out a settlement. The following day, another source called the court reporter to ask what the next hearing schedule for the case was -- this source was told there was no schedule as a settlement had been reached. We'll be following this story as it develops to see how it affects the potential Fallout Online and what each studio is walking away with from this bitter dispute.
Bethesda and Interplay may be close to settling Fallout dispute
Is the long-running war of words between Bethesda and Interplay nearing its end? The two firms have been engaged in a legal tug-of-war over the Fallout IP (and its potential entry into the MMO space via Fallout Online) for several years now, but a new blurb on GamePolitics suggests that there could be some light at the end of the tunnel. GamePolitics cites a Fallout wiki entry and the leak of a partial court transcript from earlier this month that says "both sides have previously agreed to drop this from the case (Bethesda raised it, and Interplay agreed). The case now just concerns future Fallout games." The website points to another source that claims that Bethesda is attempting to seal parts of the case (which is often a harbinger for an out-of-court settlement).
Bethesda and Interplay lock legal horns over Fallout MMO
In a month of lawsuits, another one has hit the table. This time the participants are Bethesda Softworks, best known for The Elder Scrolls series of games and the recent hit Fallout 3, and Interplay, the original holders of the Fallout license.The lawsuit stems from the longstanding agreements between the companies regarding the Fallout IP. Namely Bethesda was allowed to take the rights to the IP except for the case of a Fallout MMO, which would be under the control of Interplay. Interplay would keep these rights as long as they secured funding for the game and began production by April.Bethesda is asserting that Interplay has breached their agreement, citing that development on the title (which has been hidden under the thinly disguised title "Project V13," standing for "Vault 13," a shelter in the Fallout universe) has not yet begun. Interplay asserts that it still holds the rights to develop Project V13 with the assistance of Masthead Studios, the group behind the upcoming post-apocalyptic sci-fi MMO Earthrise.Want more info? The legal documents regarding the suit have been unearthed, and are ready for your perusal.[Via VG247]
