Petition Underway to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member
Petition Underway to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member
July 22, 2009
The recent controversy brewing around the aggressive trademark defense tactics of game developer Tim Langdell has sparked a petition to remove him from the executive board of the International Game Developers Association.
GamesLaw reports that game writer Corvus Elrod is the creator of the online petition. Elrod hopes to obtain signatures from at least 10% of the organization's members. If so, he will present the petition to the board "and force them to call a special meeting of the membership to vote on Tim Langdell’s removal."
Dan Rosenthal, editor of GamesLaw, comments on the increasingly unpleasant situation:
This is obviously a huge issue, especially for a very troubled IGDA. There have been recent questions in mainstream blogs and those of several high profile industry members questioning what exactly IGDA is providing to its members. The trademark issue further fans the flames of allegations that IGDA isn’t doing enough, and it’s being talked about by key industry figures...
Rosenthal mentions that he hopes to discuss the Langdell/IGDA situation at his Legal Issues in Gaming panel at the upcoming PAX 2009.
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Posted 11/20/09 at 05:42pm
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:17pm
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:10pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:01pm
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:59pm
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:49pm
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:46pm
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:44pm
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:42pm
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:33pm
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:25pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:07pm
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:56pm
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:49pm
JDKJ: I'd like to introduce you to them. First, Neil. Then, Bob.
JDKJ: I'd like to introduce you to them. First, Neil. Then, Bob.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:47pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I know they are intimate friends of yours...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I know they are intimate friends of yours...
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:44pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Neil and Bob?
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Neil and Bob?
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Comments
From what I have read this guy is almost a Monster Cable level Trademark litigant. Supposedly he has registered the trademark of Edge in just about any possible industry including space travel.
While my understanding of this is slim, I have read some exchanges between the maker of the iPhone game in question and Tim on Gamasutra and it was not pretty.
If I were a paying member of the IGDA, I would support a vote on whether he should retain his position. It is only fair.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
Agreed. This guy sounds like another Leo Stoller (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Stoller).
These trademark trolls are the worst.
Yep, he has been compared to Leo as well. Not any association I would want to have.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
Aren't board members voted in though? So if this guy got into the upper tiers, it's because he got voted there by either his peers or the members themselves? Just surprises me that no-one noticed this guy only appears to have been a game developer in the 80's, during the 'Marble Madness' period.
/starts writing concept notes for a new game, I'll call it 'Edge of Edginess'....
Mike Capps and Tim Langdell actually showed that the IGDA election process is borked...
The IGDA has more than 10k members, during the election only 2k voted (showing that the majority of the membership does not care, mainly result of what I call "fake" membership because studio memberships and people that joined only for the discounts and parties...)
Also altough there are a mininum quorum needed, when it is not reached, the board can appoint people... Tim Langdell was appointed (he did not get enough votes, something like 3 or 4 less than the needed, the board appointed him using as criteria the highest voted person, like to disguise the election flaws).
So, altough theoretically people on board are elected democratically, they are not, the failure of the quorum rule only result in the highest voted candidates always getting elected, even when people are not intersted on that (if everyone votes on noone, meaning that no candidate is suitable, the board is still filled by appointed people).
My guess that the IGDA need to fix its bylaws before they manage to fix something on the industry itself, because until the bylaws get fixed, people like Tim and Mike Capps will get on the board.
criadordejogos.wordpress.com
Thanks for that explanation, it makes things a lot clearer :)
This can unfortunately happen with larger organisations, I think, people join not to get involved but simply so they can say they are a member, seems to be that Langdells position is not so much the problem, as a symptom of the problem.
Kinda reminds me about Paramount wanting to copyright "Enterprise".
We'll be sitting on the EDGE of seats for the conclusion to this one.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
http://www.facebook.com/nightwing2000
Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Ha ha haaah, I get it.
(not really funny, though)
---
Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.
I think Marvel Comics also wanted to copyright letter "X" for their comics.
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
And Donald Trump wanting to copyright "You're fired."
---
Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.
Is it weird that every time I read the name GamesLaw it makes me think of cole slaw?
Gee, I bet nobody ever thought of using that name before... oh wait
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/company/76609.html
GameSnooper
So this guy is basically the Paris Hilton of the game industry?
I mean the trademarking a commonly used word/phrase part, not the stupid spoiled whore with a "leaked" sex tape part.