<s>
Stardock	B-Application
Systems	I-Application
,	I-Application
Inc	I-Application
.	I-Application
v	I-Application
.	I-Application
Paul	I-Application
Reiche	I-Application
III	I-Application
and	I-Application
Robert	I-Application
Frederick	I-Application
Ford	I-Application
,	O
2018	O
WL	O
7348858	O
(	O
N.D.	O
Cal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paul	O
Reiche	O
III	O
and	O
Fred	O
Ford	O
are	O
the	O
makers	O
of	O
the	O
critically	O
acclaimed	O
1990	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
game	O
series	O
,	O
and	O
Stardock	O
is	O
the	O
maker	O
of	O
the	O
2018	O
release	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
:	I-Application
Origins	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
lawsuit	O
stems	O
from	O
a	O
dispute	O
over	O
the	O
ownership	O
,	O
licensing	O
,	O
and	O
infringement	O
of	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
intellectual	O
property	O
,	O
including	O
both	O
trademarks	O
and	O
copyrights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
licensed	O
their	O
copyrights	O
to	O
publisher	O
Accolade	O
,	O
to	O
create	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
3	I-Application
without	O
their	O
involvement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
license	O
expired	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
2000s	O
when	O
the	O
games	O
stopped	O
being	O
sold	O
,	O
allowing	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
to	O
re-release	O
their	O
assets	O
as	O
the	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
Accolade	O
and	O
their	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
were	O
acquired	O
by	O
Atari	O
SA	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Years	O
later	O
,	O
Stardock	O
purchased	O
Atari	O
's	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
assets	O
in	O
a	O
2013	O
bankruptcy	O
auction	O
,	O
and	O
began	O
developing	O
their	O
Origins	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
2017	O
,	O
Stardock	O
's	O
disagreement	O
with	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
escalated	O
towards	O
a	O
legal	O
battle	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
party	O
asserting	O
that	O
the	O
other	O
was	O
violating	O
their	O
intellectual	O
property	O
rights	O
:	O
Stardock	O
was	O
selling	O
the	O
original	O
games	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
without	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
's	O
consent	O
,	O
whereas	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
announced	O
Ghosts	O
of	O
the	O
Precursors	O
as	O
a	O
sequel	B-Language
to	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
without	O
Stardock	O
's	O
consent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Stardock	O
filed	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
on	O
December	O
8	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
dispute	O
escalated	O
to	O
include	O
the	O
contents	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
,	O
with	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
counter-claiming	O
Stardock	O
misappropriated	O
their	O
characters	O
and	O
designs	O
in	O
Origins	O
,	O
and	O
Stardock	O
further	O
claiming	O
ownership	O
over	O
trademarks	O
in	O
the	O
aliens	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
issued	O
an	O
uncontested	O
notice	O
soon	O
after	O
,	O
and	O
both	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
GOG.com	O
removed	O
the	O
games	O
from	O
their	O
stores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stardock	O
would	O
own	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
,	O
and	O
drop	O
their	O
claims	O
to	O
the	O
alien	O
names	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
would	O
own	O
the	O
copyrights	O
in	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
I	O
and	O
II	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
parties	O
would	O
avoid	O
using	O
characters	O
or	O
stories	O
that	O
might	O
infringe	O
on	O
each	O
other	O
's	O
separate	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
and	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
were	O
created	O
by	O
Paul	O
Reiche	O
III	O
and	O
Fred	O
Ford	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Accolade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Journalists	O
have	O
listed	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
among	O
their	O
best	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
with	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
earning	O
even	O
more	O
"	O
best	O
game	O
"	O
rankings	O
through	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
2000s	O
,	O
and	O
2010s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
was	O
Ford	O
and	O
Reiche	O
's	O
first	O
collaboration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sequel	B-Language
was	O
more	O
ambitious	O
,	O
forcing	O
the	O
duo	O
to	O
ask	O
their	O
creative	O
friends	O
for	O
help	O
,	O
and	O
forcing	O
Ford	O
to	O
financially	O
support	O
the	O
team	O
when	O
the	O
production	O
went	O
over	O
schedule	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
held	O
the	O
copyrights	O
over	O
first	O
two	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
games	O
,	O
Accolade	O
licensed	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
's	O
designs	O
to	O
make	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
3	I-Application
with	O
a	O
different	O
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Released	O
in	O
1996	O
,	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
3	I-Application
did	O
not	O
enjoy	O
the	O
acclaimed	O
legacy	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
with	O
reviewers	O
noting	O
the	O
change	O
in	O
authorship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Accolade	O
's	O
plans	O
for	O
a	O
fourth	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
game	O
were	O
ultimately	O
cancelled	O
during	O
development	O
,	O
and	O
fans	O
continued	O
to	O
demand	O
a	O
new	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
game	O
well	O
into	O
the	O
late	O
2000s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
games	O
were	O
no	O
longer	O
available	O
in	O
stores	O
,	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
wanted	O
to	O
keep	O
their	O
work	O
in	O
the	O
public	O
eye	O
,	O
to	O
maintain	O
an	O
audience	O
for	O
a	O
potential	O
sequel	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
still	O
owned	O
the	O
copyrights	O
in	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
I	O
and	O
II	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
could	O
not	O
successfully	O
purchase	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
,	O
leading	O
them	O
to	O
consider	O
a	O
new	O
title	O
for	O
a	O
potential	O
follow-up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
led	O
them	O
to	O
remake	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
as	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
,	O
which	O
they	O
released	O
in	O
2002	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
download	O
under	O
an	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
copyright	O
license	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
was	O
transferred	O
to	O
Infogrames	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
happened	O
when	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
publisher	O
Accolade	O
sold	O
their	O
company	O
to	O
Infogrames	O
in	O
1999	O
,	O
who	O
merged	O
with	O
Atari	O
and	O
re-branded	O
under	O
the	O
Atari	O
name	O
in	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2011	O
,	O
GOG.com	O
began	O
selling	O
a	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
re-release	O
on	O
their	O
digital	O
store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ford	O
contacted	O
the	O
sales	O
platform	O
,	O
saying	O
they	O
could	O
not	O
sell	O
the	O
games	O
without	O
permission	O
,	O
leading	O
GOG.com	O
to	O
separately	O
license	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
from	O
Atari	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
games	O
themselves	O
from	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stardock	O
became	O
the	O
top	O
bidder	O
on	O
Atari	O
's	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
intellectual	O
property	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
hearing	O
the	O
news	O
,	O
Paul	O
Reiche	O
indicated	O
that	O
he	O
still	O
owned	O
the	O
copyright	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
games	O
,	O
so	O
Stardock	O
must	O
have	O
purchased	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
was	O
confirmed	O
by	O
Stardock	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Indeed	O
,	O
the	O
Atari	O
asset	O
purchase	O
agreement	O
listed	O
two	O
assets	O
sold	O
to	O
Stardock	O
:	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
and	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
III	I-Application
copyright	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Stardock	O
began	O
developing	O
their	O
new	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
game	O
,	O
they	O
re-iterated	O
that	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
acquire	O
the	O
copyright	O
to	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
need	O
a	O
license	O
from	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
to	O
use	O
their	O
content	O
and	O
lore	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
echoed	O
this	O
understanding	O
in	O
a	O
2015	O
Game	O
Developer	O
Conference	O
interview	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
Stardock	O
's	O
game	O
would	O
use	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
only	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2015	O
,	O
Stardock	O
announced	O
that	O
their	O
new	O
game	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
:	I-Application
Origins	I-Application
would	O
be	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2016	O
,	O
Stardock	O
described	O
Origins	O
as	O
an	O
alternative	O
timeline	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
multiverse	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
none	O
of	O
the	O
older	O
games	O
 '	O
characters	O
,	O
to	O
avoid	O
infringing	O
on	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
's	O
copyrighted	O
lore	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
Stardock	O
's	O
continued	O
offers	O
,	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
declined	O
to	O
collaborate	O
on	O
Origins	O
,	O
citing	O
a	O
desire	O
to	O
create	O
their	O
own	O
sequel	B-Language
once	O
they	O
finished	O
their	O
ongoing	O
projects	O
with	O
Activision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2017	O
,	O
Stardock	O
began	O
selling	O
the	O
older	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
games	O
via	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
store	I-Application
,	O
as	O
a	O
promotion	O
for	O
Origins	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
private	O
negotiations	O
,	O
Stardock	O
declined	O
to	O
stop	O
selling	O
the	O
games	O
,	O
leading	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
to	O
formally	O
request	O
that	O
Steam	B-Application
remove	O
the	O
original	O
series	O
from	O
their	O
store	O
via	O
a	O
Digital	O
Millennium	O
Copyright	O
Act	O
(	O
DMCA	O
)	O
takedown	O
notice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
publicly	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
consent	O
to	O
Stardock	O
's	O
sale	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
series	O
,	O
Stardock	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
purchased	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
publishing	O
rights	O
from	O
Atari	O
,	O
while	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
responded	O
that	O
Atari	O
's	O
publishing	O
rights	O
had	O
lapsed	O
by	O
Atari	O
's	O
own	O
admission	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
in	O
October	O
,	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
announced	O
Ghosts	O
of	O
the	O
Precursors	O
as	O
a	O
direct	O
sequel	B-Language
to	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
Stardock	O
supported	O
this	O
announcement	O
for	O
Ghosts	O
of	O
the	O
Precursors	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
true	O
sequel	B-Language
to	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
2	I-Application
"	O
,	O
and	O
claimed	O
their	O
new	O
Origins	O
game	O
would	O
take	O
place	O
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
universe	O
that	O
split	O
off	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
series	O
 '	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stardock	O
's	O
main	O
contention	O
was	O
that	O
their	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
was	O
infringed	O
when	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
announced	O
Ghosts	O
of	O
the	O
Precursors	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
direct	O
sequel	B-Language
"	O
to	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stardock	O
further	O
contended	O
that	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
were	O
not	O
the	O
creators	O
of	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
,	O
and	O
were	O
misleading	O
consumers	O
about	O
their	O
involvement	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
trademark	O
applications	O
included	O
names	O
of	O
alien	O
races	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
mark	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
correspondence	O
surfaced	O
that	O
Stardock	O
planned	O
to	O
use	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
and	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademarks	O
to	O
shut	O
down	O
criticism	O
from	O
both	O
games	O
 '	O
fan	O
forums	O
,	O
Stardock	O
CEO	O
Brad	O
Wardell	O
responded	O
that	O
this	O
was	O
a	O
moment	O
of	O
anger	O
and	O
he	O
had	O
no	O
intention	O
of	O
actually	O
doing	O
so	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
argued	O
that	O
their	O
Ghosts	O
of	O
the	O
Precursors	O
announcement	O
did	O
not	O
infringe	O
Stardock	O
's	O
trademark	O
,	O
and	O
suggested	O
that	O
Atari	O
's	O
trademark	O
renewal	O
was	O
invalid	O
given	O
that	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
was	O
not	O
used	O
in	O
trade	O
for	O
several	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
also	O
counterclaimed	O
that	O
Stardock	O
was	O
liable	O
for	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
due	O
to	O
Stardock	O
's	O
unauthorized	O
use	O
of	O
characters	O
and	O
designs	O
from	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
I	O
and	O
II	O
,	O
and	O
unauthorized	O
sale	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
further	O
contested	O
Stardock	O
's	O
claim	O
over	O
The	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
trademark	O
,	O
and	O
alleged	O
that	O
Stardock	O
had	O
misled	O
customers	O
about	O
the	O
duo	O
's	O
involvement	O
with	O
Origins	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2018	O
,	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
described	O
an	O
alleged	O
settlement	O
offer	O
made	O
by	O
Stardock	O
,	O
asking	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
to	O
compensate	O
Stardock	O
in	O
damages	O
,	O
assign	O
their	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
intellectual	O
property	O
to	O
Stardock	O
,	O
and	O
refrain	O
from	O
making	O
any	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
genre	O
as	O
Stardock	O
for	O
five	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
ruling	O
,	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
issued	O
a	O
DMCA	O
takedown	O
notice	O
to	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
GOG.com	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
defended	O
the	O
DMCA	O
takedown	O
requests	O
by	O
pointing	O
out	O
that	O
the	O
substantial	O
similarities	O
between	O
Origins	O
and	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
II	I-Application
were	O
evidence	O
of	O
intentional	O
copying	O
,	O
in	O
violation	O
of	O
copyright	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
that	O
month	O
,	O
both	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
GOG.com	O
restored	O
Origins	O
for	O
sale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
agreed	O
that	O
Stardock	O
will	O
own	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
trademark	O
,	O
and	O
Reiche	O
and	O
Ford	O
will	O
own	O
the	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
trademark	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
perpetual	O
trademark	O
license	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Ur-Quan	I-Application
Masters	I-Application
fan	O
community	O
for	O
their	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
project	O
.	O
</s>
