Atari buys Mattel M-Network games

[Rev]

Interesting. 
 

 

[wolfy62]

3 hours ago, Rev said:

Interesting. 
 

 

I saw this and figured it may be a perfect opportunity for Atari to put the Amico games on the Atari VCS or some other way to release them.

That is,of course if they eventually get the rights to the Amico stuff also.

Edited May 6, 2023 by wolfy62

[THX-1138]

25 minutes ago, wolfy62 said:

I saw this and figured it may be a perfect opportunity for Atari to put the Amico games on the Atari VCS or some other way to release them.

That is,of course if they eventually get the rights to the Amico stuff also.

Two games I liked on the Intellivision were AstroSmash and Night Stalker.  Atari have them in all but name now, they can re-issue the originals and make new versions under the AstroBlast and Dark Cavern brand names.  Shame there was no M Network version of Thunder Castle.

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by THX-1138

[+Steve Jones]

who sold this to them? Intellivision Entertainment aka Amico people, or Blue Sky Rangers?

not sure who owns the IP on these?

 

[+Lathe26]

45 minutes ago, Steve Jones said:

who sold this to them? Intellivision Entertainment aka Amico people, or Blue Sky Rangers?

not sure who owns the IP on these?

 

 

[mr_me]

5 hours ago, THX-1138 said:

Two games I liked on the Intellivision were AstroSmash and Night Stalker.  Atari have them in all but name now, they can re-issue the originals and make new versions under the AstroBlast and Dark Cavern brand names.  Shame there was no M Network version of Thunder Castle.

 

They have Astroblast and presumably Dark Cavern for the Atari 2600, they didn't get the Intellivision originals.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/05/04/2661966/0/en/Atari-Announces-Acquisition-of-M-Network-Atari-2600-Titles-and-Related-Trademarks.html#

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by mr_me

[THX-1138]

5 hours ago, mr_me said:

They have Astroblast and presumably Dark Cavern for the Atari 2600, they didn't get the Intellivision originals.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/05/04/2661966/0/en/Atari-Announces-Acquisition-of-M-Network-Atari-2600-Titles-and-Related-Trademarks.html#

 

Sorry, maybe I was not clear enough.  I know that, but they don't need the original Intellivision names, they have those games under the M-Network brand names.  So they can make new versions of Astrosmash and Nightstalker, but they will have to be called Astroblaster and Dark Cavern.

[THX-1138]

10 hours ago, Steve Jones said:

who sold this to them? Intellivision Entertainment aka Amico people, or Blue Sky Rangers?

not sure who owns the IP on these?

 

Probably Mattel.

 

[mr_me]

 

47 minutes ago, THX-1138 said:

Sorry, maybe I was not clear enough.  I know that, but they don't need the original Intellivision names, they have those games under the M-Network brand names.  So they can make new versions of Astrosmash and Nightstalker, but they will have to be called Astroblaster and Dark Cavern.

I figured that's what you meant.  I don't think they need rights to the old games to make new ones but they do need rights to use the names.

 

49 minutes ago, THX-1138 said:

Probably Mattel.

 

Mattel sold them to the group that became INTV Corp back in 1984.

[TrekMD]

This is interesting.  Let's see what Atari does with these.

[THX-1138]

1 hour ago, mr_me said:

 

I figured that's what you meant.  I don't think they need rights to the old games to make new ones but they do need rights to use the names.

 

Mattel sold them to the group that became INTV Corp back in 1984.

 

Sorry, it seems I am still not being clear.

They don't need to get Intellivision rights because they're not going to or want to remake the Intellivision games, only M-Network ones with the M-Network names.

Also my understanding was Intellivision was sold to INTV Corp, but M-Network wasn't.  I've been told the deal for M-Network was with Mattel.

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by THX-1138

[wolfy62]

13 minutes ago, THX-1138 said:

Sorry, it seem I am still not being clear.

They don't need to get Intellivision rights because they're not going to remake Intellivision games, only M-Network ones.

Also my understanding was Intellivision was sold to INTV Corp, but M-Network wasn't.  I've been told the deal for M-Network was with Mattel.

 

But....weren't M-network games just reworked Intellivision games for the Atari 2600?

So,essentially they ARE Intellivision games.

[THX-1138]

5 minutes ago, wolfy62 said:

But....weren't M-network games just reworked Intellivision games for the Atari 2600?

So,essentially they ARE Intellivision games.

Yes, they were ports of popular Intellivision games, released under a separate division of Mattel and using different names for the games.  So later when Intellivision was sold to INTV, the M-Network stuff just became defunct.  Now Atari have bought the M-Network brand and games.

So now, for example, Atari can rework games like Astroblast and Dark Cavern however they want, although originally ported from Intellivision's Astrosmash and Night Stalker, they are legally separate things.
 

[mr_me]

1 hour ago, wolfy62 said:

But....weren't M-network games just reworked Intellivision games for the Atari 2600?

So,essentially they ARE Intellivision games.

They are but unless the new game has something that's copyright protected from the old game e.g. music/sounds, graphics, people can make a new game inspired from the old one without permission.

 

1 hour ago, THX-1138 said:

...
Also my understanding was Intellivision was sold to INTV Corp, but M-Network wasn't.  I've been told the deal for M-Network was with Mattel.

 

Where did you hear it was Mattel?  Back in 1984, the guy that bought the Mattel Electronics video game IP talked about a dozen games for computer systems and consoles other than Intellivision.  In the later 1980s Telegames published several of these Atari 2600 games under license.  It's possible INTV Corp sold them at that time.  In the last few years Atgames and Atari published these Atari 2600 games as well. Did they give any copyright credit?  Trademarks like M Network and game titles can expire and be up for grabs but copyrights don't and remain with the owner until transferred.

[THX-1138]

I was wrong, sorry.  In 2018 at least, M Network Games were owned by Intellivision.

[+BBWW]

15 hours ago, mr_me said:

They are but unless the new game has something that's copyright protected from the old game e.g. music/sounds, graphics, people can make a new game inspired from the old one without permission.

 

Where did you hear it was Mattel?  Back in 1984, the guy that bought the Mattel Electronics video game IP talked about a dozen games for computer systems and consoles other than Intellivision.  In the later 1980s Telegames published several of these Atari 2600 games under license.  It's possible INTV Corp sold them at that time.  In the last few years Atgames and Atari published these Atari 2600 games as well. Did they give any copyright credit?  Trademarks like M Network and game titles can expire and be up for grabs but copyrights don't and remain with the owner until transferred.

It is my understanding that the opposite is true. Trademarks are forever if maintained. Copyrights expire. 

[mr_me]

That is true.  But talking about abandoned works, trademarks can expire after a few years where copyrights don't expire for 95 years from first publication (and they keep extending the term).  So the copyrights for the first Intellivision works won't expire until 2074, more than fifty years from now, where abandoned trademarks would have already expired, e.g. Imagic titles.  

 

Once a trademark has expired anyone can grab it and make it their own e.g. Coleco Holdings with the Coleco and Colecovision trademarks.  When a copyright expires, the works become public domain.

[number6]

On 5/7/2023 at 6:22 AM, mr_me said:

That is true.  But talking about abandoned works, trademarks can expire after a few years where copyrights don't expire for 95 years from first publication (and they keep extending the term).  So the copyrights for the first Intellivision works won't expire until 2074, more than fifty years from now, where abandoned trademarks would have already expired, e.g. Imagic titles.  

 

Once a trademark has expired anyone can grab it and make it their own e.g. Coleco Holdings with the Coleco and Colecovision trademarks.  When a copyright expires, the works become public domain.

Trademarks can be (using uspto records) "cancelled or abandoned". Bump 'N' Jump is a fine example of both. And yes, then someone else can file, which IE did in this case.

Cancellation can be upon request or through failure to file "maintenance" documentation.

They can also be judged "abandoned" by uspto due to failure to comply with "intent to use" after the 3 year period after initial filing. Intent to use requires submission of proof of use in commerce and said submission needs to be judged acceptable by uspto. You also have the option of filing 5 six month extensions, which merely mean you still intend to use, but have not yet submitted proof of use.

 

There is also the possibility of appeal to reverse designations such as "abandoned", as was the case with "Intellivision Together Again".

 

Applications are a different topic and can simply be refused. That can be final but also accompanied by a request for further documentation. Again, IE experienced this as well, and supplied additional documentation to maintain their 3 registered trademarks.

 

Then you have the aspect that "use" applies to U.S. filings, but not the European filings for the same marks. Different system and different adjudications.

 

You also have to understand that TM is not the same as registered. And yes, don't confuse trademark with copyright.

 

You've seen instances regarding all of the above with IE. This is common and should be of no concern for the most part.

 

If the above has not destroyed your brain yet...I've failed to make my point. heh.

 

#6

[MrBeefy]

I'm glad Atari got them. Now you might actually get to see versions of those games make it to market. Dark Cavern Recharged