Hasbro Sues Atari Over D&D
Hasbro has sued Atari over allegations that it has committed fraud and breached the footing of its licensing agreement for the Dungeons & Dragons brand.
Wizards of the Seashore, a wholly-owned auxiliary of Hasbro, learned earlier this year that Atari "Crataegus laevigata have" Cuban sandwich-licensed the Dungeons & Dragons digital game rights to Namco Bandai Partners, a competitor of both Hasbro and Wizards of the Seacoast. Such a deal is forbidden below the terms of Atari's licensing contract.
"While unfortunate that we had to take this action, it is crucial for us to protect the Dungeons & Dragons brand," said Wizards of the Glide President Greg Leeds. "We have been working for several months now to reach result with Atari, and they have left us with no other select than to follow legal action."
But in a response to the suit issued to Kotaku, Atari named the lawsuit "meritless" and claimed that Hasbro is alleging the breach of sign up simply so IT can return the rights to the D&ere;D stain. "Atari has had a long and rich history with the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, investing millions of dollars into numerous critically acclaimed and commercially triple-crown games that have generated meaningful revenue for Hasbro," the company said. "Hasbro has resorted to these meritless allegations, in an apparent attempt to below the belt bring back rights granted to Atari. Atari has sought to solve the matter without cooperation from Hasbro. We regret that our long-meter partner has decided to pursue this action. Atari will respond appropriately through its legal counseling in Court."
Atari signed a 10-year licensing deal with Hasbro in 2007, although given the current legal kerfuffle, that's now looking kind of shaky. It's also in spades not the sort of headache Atari needs right right away: In August, the companion was sued by Turbine over other D&D-related dispute relating to the revamped Dungeons & Dragons Online MMOG.
Source: CNN Money
https://www.escapistmagazine.com/hasbro-sues-atari-over-dd/
Source: https://www.escapistmagazine.com/hasbro-sues-atari-over-dd/