[colecampbell666]

As most of you know, the FS IP (Intellectual Property) is up for grabs in 2011. That means that in just a little over 3 years, anyone could own FS. Now what if that were us, the community as a collective? What I'm proposing is that we make a fund for the IP, and once InterPlay sells, we may have a fighting chance of getting the IP. Is this a good idea? Any sugestions on how to raise the money? we would need approximately 85000 dollars a year to get the 250 000$ figure that I've heard tossed around.

Suggestions?

[Admiral_Stones]

Hmm. We should get the HLP FS_Open to some milli/billionaire and prove him we're worth sponsoring.

[colecampbell666]

One guy came on a few months ago wanting to spend his inheritance to buy the license. Talk about dedication.

[karajorma]

You're assuming that they will sell in 2011. They don't have to.

[CP5670]

I doubt it costs that much. Something around $10-20k would be my guess, given that FS2 was a financial failure and space sims in general are seen as a dead genre by publishers these days. However, even we acquired it, what exactly would we do with it? The IP is totally useless by itself unless you just want to prevent Derek Smart from trying to get it again.

[colecampbell666]

It would allow us to give out FS1 and 2 for free without legal repercussions.

You're assuming that they will sell in 2011. They don't have to.

And a lot of people were saying something to the tune of "They have to.".

[CP5670]

We're doing that already and the chances of encountering problems are far too minute to be worth worrying about, much less throwing away 10 grand for.

[karajorma]

It would allow us to give out FS1 and 2 for free without legal repercussions.

Until someone with proper legal training in IP law tells me that I'm calling BS. Volition holds the copyright on FS2.

FreeSpace 2 (c) 1999 by Volition, Inc. All rights reserved.
Portions (c) 1999 Interplay Productions. All rights reserved.

So you'd have to get their permission too. From what I understand Interplay holds the publishing rights. Which is not the same thing.


And I don't believe this stuff about them having to sell the IP after a certain number of years. That doesn't make the slightest bit of sense.

[Flipside]

I think buying the Freespace IP would be a pointless idea anyway, with the SCP as successful as it is, we'd purely be paying that money to find out how [v] planned to end the series, and ironically enough, I suspect that is the portion that isn't in Interplay's hands.

[nubbles526]

How could that be pointless? I mean at least we don't have to worry about anybody trying to close down Hard Light. We certainly don't want a person called Derek Smart popping up again...

[castor]

But don't you agree that the possibilty for the worst case scenario to happen is quite little? Maybe too little to worry about it much.
I mean, its easy to find more burning issues to worry about, if one's into that sort of things

[Bob-san]

One thing--we can't sell the FS2 Open kit for anything more than the cost of the raw materials (aka the cost of the discs and postage). As for buying the IP... I'd say give it time. From what I understand of the law, the IP for Freespace and Freespace 2 is owned by Interplay. They own the series--that's it. What is more-interesting is that the engine is owned by , meaning we'd have to make sure the license to distribute the game, engine, and all portions of the art. Remember that made the engine open-source now... meaning that we aren't allowed to sell our modifications to the engine without violating that license. If we somehow pulled enough money into the Freespace IP, we'd have the chance to do several things... one is distribute Freespace, Freespace: Silent Threat, and Freespace 2 for any price we set, including free. Another thing we could do is approach (or, in effect, THQ) and ask them about contracting for the end of the trilogy. I'm not sure I want to do the entire thing... I think it would be much better if the contract spelled out that we want the writers to work with us on producing the sequel. Voice acting is secondary--upon completion and bug-testing, we hire voice talent to basically do the entire dialogue. If we let them write the story and get the voice-acting complete, we will have a product that we can sell (saying that contracts out the engine and lets us modify it as necessary). That too is ours--meaning we can sell it. The only problem is that, even if we use our own graphics and modification teams, we would not have the funds to hire out our own people--even part-time (unless we do commission), the business license to release a sequel and put it on shelves at our local WalMart, KMart, Frys, BestBuy, NewEgg, &c.

We have the talent to do everything ourselves--the problem is we don't have a story, we don't have paid voice talent, and we don't have a presence. We'd need a business license to contract with THQ/:v: and distribute the game. Regardless--making CDs and packaging them with a jewel case and manual isn't hard or expensive.

I would personally not want a Derek Smart or similar to try to buy the Freespace IP. It's just not right. I would prefer to contract with Interplay to know who they're selling the Freespace IP and when--so we can try to interfere and possibly bid higher.

[Hippo]

Thought of before, won't happen, don't bother.

[Flipside]

How could that be pointless? I mean at least we don't have to worry about anybody trying to close down Hard Light. We certainly don't want a person called Derek Smart popping up again...

It wouldn't happen anyway, those were pretty empty threats, the worst he could have done was started getting stroppy about the IP, but even then, he would have been on somewhat shaky legal ground, and above all that, he can have no influence on the existence of HLP whatsoever, believe me, if he could have been vindictive about it, he would have.

What, for example, do we plan to do if we reach 2011 and it turns out that they aren't going to sell the Rights? Do we refund everyones' money? Buy a patent for a space-game of our own?

The possibilities of destroying HLP are far higher from the infighting that would be caused by that kind of situation than anything someone outside the forums could do...

[Mad Bomber]

Much as I love FS, I'd much rather have us craft our own universe rather than worrying about someone else's IP. Fewer potential complications that way.

[colecampbell666]

*snip*

Why make a commercial product. The point of the SCP is to make a free game that anyone can own.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Here's my ingenious plan:

First HLP member to hit the Power Ball or Mega Millions just buys it outright and donates it to HLP.   

[Gamma_Draconis]

Or we can form the Association of Shivan Scouts (A.S.S.) and sell Orion shaped cookies to raise money. (Shivan costumes are mandatory and you must have compound eyes and 5 legs from means of surgery or birth)  I doubt SCP will be busted any time soon. Unless Space Sims or Derek Smart makes a comeback, everything will probably be static.

[colecampbell666]

Or we can form the Association of Shivan Scouts (A.S.S.) and sell Orion shaped cookies to raise money. (Shivan costumes are mandatory and you must have compound eyes and 5 legs from means of surgery or birth)

[chief1983]

Trust me, if I won powerball I'd definitely try to buy the rights.  But, my biggest worry isn't us getting the rights, or them not selling it at all.  It's if they do sell it, and someone else gets it.  THAT is probably the biggest threat to the SCP.