Evidently Wizards of the Coast is jealous of all the bad press that GW got last year. Because they're suing Cryptozoic Entertainment over their Hex:Shards of Fate game. Which blew past its Kickstarter goal of $300,000. Netting a total of $2,278,255.
Now, it is long-established case law in the US that game rules cannot be copyrighted as a sequence of steps. Only as a complete work that would include the exact rule wording, models, fluff, artwork, etc. So a game's publication in its final form is protected. But not the sequence of gameplay it describes.
It would be perfectly legal, for instance, to copy Warhammer 40,000's rules. So long as you don't duplicate all of their unique names, wording, or copy the models/fluff that are sold with it.
Which is essentially what FFG did when they adapted the rules for Wings of Glory to create their X-Wing Miniatures game. Whereas Wizkids didn't want to mess around with a re-write, and just licensed X-Wing's 'engine' for Star Trek: Attack Wing. Which is why they both use the same stands, base-cards, range rulers, hit-dice etc.
So given all that, what's the basis for WotC's suit? Well, they infamously patented their gameplay system, card layouts, and the act of 'tapping' cards. Lots of games turn their cards 90ยบ during play to signify stuff. But none dare call it tapping. Yeah, it's BS.
Seeing as how this is a relatively well known garbage patent, and that it's defeat could have serious political effects in other industries, I expect that the Electronic Frontier Foundation will jump at the chance to get involved. Just as it did with the Chapterhouse case. Popcorn time guys.
I do expect that the legal team for Hasbro/WotC will put up a more competent fight than GW did. Still, I hope this patent gets tossed and that it helps the case for patent reform in this country.
UPDATE: On the other hand, maybe Hasbro/WotC aren't that legally competent. Seems that patent expired in 2004 and was never renewed. Oops!
Hey! It's our eleventy-eleventh post!