help me name my 4 chapters friends.......

[Madison Lastrega]

More bad news from DC comics unfortunately....  The sub names Earthworld fireworld waterworld , and airworld , also have DC's TM on them..... In fact the movie Waterworld had to be Cleared by DC as well... ( that my friends was like movie news I never knew).... Waterworld  the movie had a 200 million budget, they could afford it, I on the other hand cannot....  So I have to rename my sub chapters as well...... And I am turning to my forum for help with the SQS ultra names...... The only one I have some direction with is chapter 3 waterworld ....... In the comics waterworld  is called  "Auqainlon"     so that could work for chapter 3.... So I need to name earthworld , fireworld , and air world........ Any suggestions my friends..... Names must be related to their elements, like gia for earth, ect.        thanks friends.....ML

[Holy_Diver]

Just call it Sword of Moonlight Quest and you are well within the context of parody. Besides. You can't trademark these names, and you shouldn't change what you are doing because of that. There must be at least a hundred games with such world names.

Don't be ridiculous. Even if you remake the structure of the game. You can do so as parody. The names are fine. If Atari doesn't mind reproducing the structure that's fine too. If not then claim parody. Which you can do if you shift the name so it doesn't appear to be a continuation of the property.

EDITED: If you really want proper names for the worlds to use in the script. Then by all means make some up. But don't do that unless you use the original names too. Have some integrity. And last but not least. Never change anything unless you are physically forced to after a long drawn out scandal where you drag the names of said companies through the mud.

[HwitVlf]

And last but not least. Never change anything unless you are physically forced to after a long drawn out scandal where you drag the names of said companies through the mud.

Whoa, someone forgot to take their prozac this morning 

I think the odds of DC caring if you used the names is low, but if you just want to be respectful of their right or avoid potential problems, I would just use a synonym. "Fire Realm" etc.  It seems nice to give areas distinct proper names too like Auqainlon. For those, I would just pick a word related to the "element" and put an appropriate sounding ending on it:
Aqualon
Firasch
Giaga
Etheria
 

[Holy_Diver]

And last but not least. Never change anything unless you are physically forced to after a long drawn out scandal where you drag the names of said companies through the mud.

Whoa, someone forgot to take their prozac this morning 

I think the odds of DC caring if you used the names is low, but if you just want to be respectful of their right or avoid potential problems, I would just use a synonym. "Fire Realm" etc.  It seems nice to give areas distinct proper names too like Auqainlon. For those, I would just pick a word related to the "element" and put an appropriate sounding ending on it:
Aqualon
Firasch
Giaga
Etheria
 

No I think this is a moral imperative. I'll repeat myself if I have to. You gotta stand up to this kind of unhealthy nonsense, not just so you can do what you want to do, but so everyone else can. We have to work to ensure that trademarking "waterworld" as a combination of words is simply socially unacceptable behavior.

If you tarnish the names of these companies they will think twice before making trouble in the future. That's good for everyone. And it's even more important than your game project.

EDITED: Also with SOM there will be a "people and places" setup so players can customize the names of things like in any old school RPG. So players can just drop in a file and thumb their noses at the trademark polices if it came to that. It surely won't. But an appropriate response would be Fireyworld. Airyworld. Wateryworld. Earthyworld. Then include=DC v. you trademarks.ini.

[Madison Lastrega]

Ya know , I just want to thank the both of you guys for the impressive responces, and for helping me come to a decision.    For one I definatly was just trying to avoid trobles with DC. Atari put 2/3 of their 2600 games to open sorce years ago, and that is why every Rite-Aid and CVS have some sort of tv box with 2600 games on them by knock off manufactures.    DC is just butt munches is all.  I emailed thier legal department months ago when I was toying around with possibly picking up our beloved SOM again :)  they sent sent me a brief but simple reply that MUST alter sorce images, and alter or change TM names owned by DC or it;s subsidiaries.yada yada.... So I sent another  email last week , and listed my alterations..... My reply was even more brief. There was no, "thanks for your continued interest" no "thanks for writing" .    All I got was Earthworld, Fireworld, and  Waterworld are TM DC Comics 1981, 1982, 1983 .

Thats it................ not even the name of whom ever was crushing me, just the above short reply..  I belive AirWorld was not listed because no Airworld story or comic was ever produced......  But dang it Holy Diver... Your argument was impressive and , well uhh... kinda made sence.... If I change the names of the chapters then players whom played the origanal games wont have a reference and a connection...... I am altering the names of the characters for christ sake....   It would be a moral injustice to have to ruin my game , a game that belongs to the fans that have waited over 30 years for a conclusion.... because of the chapter names....  I am giong to take John suggestion on using proper names in the story, but only for depth of story. (thanks for some cool names too).

But , As far as the Chapters names go ,"Earthworld" will be "Earth World". "Fireworld" will be "Fire World" Ect.      Dc might have a TM on "Earthworld" but do they have a TM on Earth  ans World.... and it is wrong to ruin my titles because of that........  And thank you both , for your help.  Besides I lost most of my respect for DC when they killed Superman, and brought him back in the most lamest way ever.... But that is another topic, on another forum :-)
...........................ML

[Holy_Diver]

Asking for permission to include panels from the comics is one thing. But you shouldn't even ask to user Earthworld. That's the equivalent of a computer company claiming a patent on icons. Unless what you want to do is very specific. Don't even ask the companies. And don't take it personally. Because DC has to respond that way. You shouldn't even ask. I am surprised that you received a reply. You probably only did because of a legal obligation to do so.

And just call it Earthworld until someone sends you a cease and desist letter you can scan on put on the internet for the whole world to see.

[HwitVlf]

I almost see DC's reply as encouraging. I read a post where a fan wrote Sony asking if they would help him rip space-ship models from one of their games that was about 12 years old. They replied with a cease and desist order ha. I don't think they even had a legal right to make him stop ripping models.  The fact that DC used a passive, form letter language seems like they don't care that much. When something has been not had it's copyright renewed in 30 years (1983), it's a pretty good sign the company has no interest in it as a commercial product.

But I do have more empathy for companies than Mick seems to. They spent fortunes to make their copyrighted material and they probably have to deal with thousands of dumb people every week who want to use their material for some ridiculous fan-movie of novel. As anyone who has worked in retail knows, the customer is almost always wrong, and will usually rob you blind if you let them    When someone writes a second rate "Super Man" novel where the super hero goes around doing unsavory things, I don't blame DC for taking legal action to protect the Superman image they've built. Everyone feels like their fan based stuff is "quality" and "meaningful" and copyright holders really have no way of differentiating between the quality and the garbage so it's almost necessary to just C&D everyone. 

[Holy_Diver]

But I do have more empathy for companies than Mick seems to. They spent fortunes to make their copyrighted material and they probably have to deal with thousands of dumb people every week who want to use their material for some ridiculous fan-movie of novel. As anyone who has worked in retail knows, the customer is almost always wrong, and will usually rob you blind if you let them    When someone writes a second rate "Super Man" novel where the super hero goes around doing unsavory things, I don't blame DC for taking legal action to protect the Superman image they've built. Everyone feels like their fan based stuff is "quality" and "meaningful" and copyright holders really have no way of differentiating between the quality and the garbage so it's almost necessary to just C&D everyone.

Oh I have plenty of empathy. I wouldn't even reply to such letters as this. I'd cringe every time I opened one up on accident. That's why I say don't bother them with it. And its why I do all work in public domain. Because I don't want to waste a second of my life on this sort of nonsense.

This is just an extenuating case. Since Atari, or whatever remains of it, doesn't have a care. So saying a world or a subtitle can't be Warterworld is nonsense. If the game was called Waterworld that would be one thing. My only point is. Don't be proactive about this stuff. You're just wasting your time and other peoples time talking about. Including the poor schlub that has to fulfill DC's legal obligation to defend their copyrights.