
This file doesn't really pertain to Traveller, however, I'm including
it, because it shows the kind of pressures that GDW was under between
1992-94 and helps illustrate the sort of environment in which they
were operating.

============================================================================

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Normal, IL May 20, 1992
GDW ANNOUNCES NAME CHANGE OF THE DANGEROUS JOURNEYS(TM) GAME

Game Designer's Workshop today announced that their upcoming
multigenre roleplaying game system will be released under the name
Dangerous Journeys(tm) instead of Dangerous Dimensions.  GDW's
president, Frank Chadwick, explained the reason for the decision as
follows:

'On the 13th of this month TSR claimed that the use and display of the
name Dangerous Dimensions infringes on their trademark Dungeons and
Dragons(R) by representing that the 'products are affiliated with or
sponsored by TSR or its products...'

Everyone associated with the project knows that this is an absurd
claim.  I know that it's not nice to bad-mouth the competition, but
the simple truth is that that's the last thing we would want anyone to
think.  No consumer would ever be confused, in any way, as to the
difference.

But GDW is in business to publish games, not to argue in court.  We're
not really interested in spending the time or money required to prove
that TSR is wrong, and neither are the other companies involved in the
project.  As a result, all of the companies involved both here and
abroad, agreed to simply change the name to the Dangerous Journeys(tm)
game.  It is an equally good name, and should let us get on with
what's important -- delievering a great family of game products.

The Dangerous Journeys(tm) game was created by Gary Gygax, and is the
property of Omega Helios, Ltd.  GDW is the licensed publisher of the
English language version of the roleplaying game.  Other licenses
include JVC in the electronic game field, Penguin/ROC in the book
trade, and Hobby Products GmbH of Germany for game miniatures.  In
addition, the roleplaying game is currently being translated into
nearly a dozen foreign languages.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:         Wed, 25 Aug 1993 05:26:26 EDT
Sender:       Mythus Fantasy Roleplaying Game List <MYTHUS-L@BROWNVM.BITNET>
From:         David Newton <davenewton@AOL.COM>
Subject:      ARMOR / T$R LAWSUIT

T$R VERSUS GYGAX/GDW
The T$R lawsuit is still pending, and will probably drag on for some time
yet.  I've been in for one deposition, and they want me back in for another
one (the next date hasn't been set).

The whole suit originally revolved around T$R's charge that DJ was derived
from 1st edition AD&D, and that there were over 300 different items that were
taken from their game (including such things as the word "Multiverse", Elves,
Dwarves, Gnomes, etc.). They are now charging Gary with copyright
infringement!

This is nothing but a ludicrous personal attack against Gary as far as I'm
concerned. I'll let you all know if anything interesting develops (as long as
the attorneys okay it - it's best not to talk about it when possible).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Immediate Release March 22, 1994

Tom McLaughlin, Director of Public Relations TSR Inc

  TSR Aquires Dangerous Journeys Game System

     Lake Geneva, WI - A two year lawsuit involving the rights to the
Dangerous Journeys multigenre roleplaying game recently came to a conclusion.
On March 18, TSR, Game Designers Workshop (GDW), Omega Helios, Trigee
Enterprises Corporation, and Gary Gygax jointly announced all rights to the
game system were acquired by TSR.
     The specific terms of the settlement are undisclosed, but all parties
are satisfied with the amicable agreement. According to the parties, GDW will
cease distribution of Dangerous Journeys game products as of april 1, and TSR
will recieve remaining inventories.
     The parties said the tremendous amount of time, money, and energy
expended on this lawsuit have left the gaming industry measurably poorer than
it might have been otherwise. However, the ability of the parties to
negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement allows the parties and the
industry to coalesce and move forward in positve and constructive directions
with all parties working together.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 15 Nov 1994 23:25:00 UTC
Reply-To:     Mythus Fantasy Roleplaying Game List <MYTHUS-L@BROWNVM.BITNET>
Sender:       Mythus Fantasy Roleplaying Game List <MYTHUS-L@BROWNVM.BITNET>
From:         "John R. Troy (JRT--Mad Demiurge of Vargaard)"
              <j.troy@GENIE.GEIS.COM>
Subject:      Gygax and TSR:  The Story

        I'll tell you what I know.  I ended up doing some reading from a few
business journals, as well as read what's been said on-line via GEnie.

        I'm telling you here in public for a few reasons.  First of all,
others may be interested.  Secondly, it is because my knowledge is limited.
Dave Newton and Frank Mentzer patronize this list.  I want them to read this
to clarify any inaccuracies.  I don't want to give out the wrong info.

        And I must put a disclaimer on this notice--it is based on what I
have read and heard.  There may be things I'm missing, or innaccuracies
based on the sources I have read.  It is not my intention to libel any
party, or to give out false information.

        Here's what I've found out:

        When Gary formed TSR, he got the help of some partners.  The major
backers of TSR I believe were the two Blume brothers, Brian Blume and Kevin
Blume.  They had a influx of capital from their father.  Mr Gygax held about
30% of the stock in the main days of TSR.  Together, the company marketed
D&D and later (slowly, as it was developed) AD&D.

        I guess in the 80's things started to go sour.  Gary and the Blumes
were at odds.  Mr. Gygax once stated that the Blumes wanted to produce
inferior product rather than quality, at least in his opinion.  Stuff like
the Fiend Folio tome (a potluck gathering of White Dwarf creations) was an
example of that--a book that IMO had a lot of monsters that weren't well
thought out and had lots of inconsistancies.  (I base this judgement
primarilly on a review in Dragon Magazine by Ed "Mr. Ecology" Greenwood,
which I agree with).

        Even with Mr. Gygax being both president and CEO of TSR, they ended
up shipping him out to the West Coast in the early days, I guess to oversee
the "young readers" licenses--stuff like the AD&D LJN action figures, the
Dungeons and Dragons cartoon show (developed by Mark Evanier, and perhaps
the "moonlighting" of cartoon shows for the time), the AD&D coloring book--
you name it.

        Eventually, due to some things the Blumes did, Gary saw fit to fire
the two brothers.  I do know that TSR had some financial problems at that
time--I guess they overextended their market.  The Blumes had their share of
the stock.  At the same time, Gary's first wife (Mary I think was her name)
divorced Gary.  Now, from what I know, Wisconsin Divorce Law is very strict
and basically divides the assetts in half--which of course would include Mr.
Gygax's 30%.  I think she and the Blumes got together in a fight for TSR
control.

        The board of directors, I guess which included the Blumes, and
perhaps to-be-president Lorraine Williams, a member of the Dille Family (who
own Buck Rogers), fired Gary as CEO, though he was still president.  I also
know from reading magazine Gary took legal action.  I think he was promised
a "first-buyout" option.  I think he lost that.  He tried to get along with
Ms. Williams, but it was a "parting of the ways".  They didn't see eye to
eye on the business/creative ends.

        I think based on concerns, TSR wanted to make sure he wouldn't do
AD&D work for other publishers (such as Mayfair).  I really don't know if
there is a non-competition clause with the first settlement.

        The only thing Gary gained was the ownership of the Gord books, and
the ability to write further novels.  He was allowed to keep him in the
"Greyhawk Universe", with the strange condition that he could not use names
of personas/entities that were part of the campaign unless they were
included in the first two novels.  Thus, Iuz, Graz'zt, and Tharizdun were
allowed in the book, but Entities like Boccob, Incabulous, and Zagyg were
changed to Cabbac, Infestrix, and Gigantos.

        Weird, huh?

        With the Second Edition, EGG gets nothing!  Despite the fact that
very little of the game mechanics were changed--mostly presentation, EGG
gets nothing for the derived work.  I find that really dumb!

        In 1992, Gary, GDW, Omega Helios Ltd. (an enigmatic company which
holds the copyright to DJ and is located on the Isle of Man), and Trigee
Enterprises Corporation were all sued, claiming that DJ violated TSR's
copyrights to AD&D, that it was derived from AD&D, and a whole bunch of
garbage.  They've made several claims against DJ -- things that are parts
of ALL RPGS!  If they ended up suing and won... it would set a precedent
giving TSR rights to ALL RPGS.  IMO, it was a nuisence suit.

        TSR and the others settled.  They gained ownership of the whole DJ
line.  GDW was paid for the inventory, and I think Gary got something out of
it--money, promises, control, something, though I don't know for sure.  All
he's said is--he's "happy with the outcome".

        The future of the system is up to TSR--they call the shots.

        BTW--The Lawsuit was so ugly, TSR gained the rights to have their
law firm and perhaps even their game staff read PRIVATE MAIL TO GARY
GYGAX!!!  In other words, I write Mr. Gygax a letter, he has to turn it and
the response over to others.  This is the lowest thing that TSR has ever
done, IMO.  So that's why I warned people here about copyrights and
trademarks.  Imagine if say, Hawkeye or Matt had to turn over all E-Mail--or
more likely the SysOps of their system had to forward copies of their
messages (and they likely have the power to do that) to TSR if they were
concerened about possible infringement.

        Scary, Huh?

        John R. Troy (JRT)
        j.troy@genie.geis.com

