Rebellion sues Stardock and Ironclad over Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

Sniper Elite V2 and Alien versus Predator maker Rebellion Developments is engaged in a little legal scrap with Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion developer IronClad Games and its publisher Stardock over the space 'em up's name. The problem, Rebellion says, is that people might mistakenly think it's behind the game.

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Sniper Elite V2 and Alien versus Predator maker Rebellion Developments is engaged in a little legal scrap with Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion developer Ironclad Games and its publisher Stardock over the space 'em up's name. The problem, Rebellion says in documents recently dug up, is that people might mistakenly think it's behind the game.

Rebellion's argument in the complaint (via GameSpot) is slightly more nuanced than 'they use the same word,' but only slightly. The SoaSE: Rebellion logo on its box art has the "Rebellion" text far larger than the rest, while Rebellion's boxes always also, surprise surprise, say that in big letters. It also takes issue with the two often referring to the game as simply "Rebellion," such as on the SoaSE website.

Rolling out the big guns of truth, it quotes a few reviewers who have also called the expandalone simply "Rebellion" and, most damning of all, quotes a YouTube description for a Rebellion video (now I'm doing it too...) as saying "The developers over at 'Rebellion' talk to us about what to expect from their newest game."

The kicker is that Rebellion the studio says Ironclad and Stardock are purposely trying to make people think Rebellion the game is associated with Rebellion the studio, which will harm Rebellion the studio. Which is a little ironic, considering Rebellion the game is rather jolly nice while Rebellion the studio has a long string of stinkers to its name in recent years, including Rogue Warrior and NeverDead.

In April, Rebellion the studio sent a big scary legal letter to Stardock and Ironclad requesting that they stop using the word, who then promptly sent a reply politely declining. Which lead Rebellion the studio to file the complaint at the end of June, hoping the courts will force them to knock their shenanigans off.

Of course, protecting trademarks does require that companies be slightly over-zealous or risk losing them, but Rebellion does seem to be getting a bit carried away here.

From The Chatty
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    August 17, 2012 10:00 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Rebellion sues Stardock and Ironclad over Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion.

    Sniper Elite V2 and Alien versus Predator maker Rebellion Developments is engaged in a little legal scrap with Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion developer IronClad Games and its publisher Stardock over the space 'em up's name. The problem, Rebellion says, is that people might mistakenly think it's behind the game.

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      August 17, 2012 10:50 AM

      I don't know wtf rebellion is talking about, this is clearly a christian game trying to influence us into penance.

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      August 17, 2012 10:53 AM

      This is dumber than Bethesda's lawsuit against the Minecraft guy for using the word "Scrolls".

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      August 17, 2012 10:55 AM

      What the fuck is this shit.

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        August 17, 2012 10:58 AM

        I guess they need to sue LucasArts for Star Wars: Rebellion, Kongregate for World Rebellion II and NIS for Last Rebellion. There's also an Eve-Online alliance name Rebellion, should probably sue them as well. It's just such a unique word, it's fucked up any other company would steal it and use it. I feel bad for Rebellion and I hope they win their suit.

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      August 17, 2012 11:01 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 17, 2012 5:49 PM

      Asses.

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      August 17, 2012 5:50 PM

      Jesus Christ, what a bunch of assholes

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      August 17, 2012 6:25 PM

      Surely this is a 'protect or lose' thing. No way they could reasonably expect to win.

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      August 18, 2012 6:25 AM

      Not sure why Rebellion is worried about its name being 'tarnished' since most of the games they've released since 1999 have been mediocre at best.

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      August 20, 2012 7:03 AM

      shack needs an upvote and downvote function for peoples comments :)

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      August 20, 2012 8:31 PM

      Ironclad Games developed and Stardock released "Sins of a Solar Empire", then "SOASE: Entrenchment", "SOASE: Diplomacy" and finally bundled it all up as "Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity". No one thought Rebellion Studios was involved one iota. Neither Ironclad, nor Stardock did anything to trick the public into thinking Rebellion Studios participated. Now that "Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion" is out, they are sinking their teeth into a lousy game to stay in the spotlight and hope Steam stops sales until StarClad throws some money at Rebellion Studios.

      Really sleazy tactic.

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