Hopefully there will soon be another video to help explain all of this for us legalese novices!
Most Recent News on Certain Legal Issues
- Thread starter Sable Phoenix
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I would optimistically venture to guess that this settlement will be in PGIs favor.
Why?
The unseen are already in MWO, and I don't see how PGI could or would agree to removing them.
At this point, both parties have probably spent a good deal of money on legal fees. If HG made a reasonable monetary demand (whether they felt at risk is losing, or offered PGI a figure comprable to their legal expenses to continue the case), PGI probably accepted.
Unfortunately, that doesn't really answer the question of whether or not we'll see the unseen in BattleTech though. We'll probably only find out if/when the unseen are added to the game, or once the legal proceedings are completely wrapped up and we don't see the unseen.
Why?
The unseen are already in MWO, and I don't see how PGI could or would agree to removing them.
At this point, both parties have probably spent a good deal of money on legal fees. If HG made a reasonable monetary demand (whether they felt at risk is losing, or offered PGI a figure comprable to their legal expenses to continue the case), PGI probably accepted.
Unfortunately, that doesn't really answer the question of whether or not we'll see the unseen in BattleTech though. We'll probably only find out if/when the unseen are added to the game, or once the legal proceedings are completely wrapped up and we don't see the unseen.
Urgh. Unless the terms of the settlement are for HG to never litigate over the unseen ever again with HBS/PGI/Catalyst allowed to use the designs without interference, this doesn't sound like good news.
All I read was "...without prejudice..." and "...settlement..."
I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like the crushing victory we all hoped for.
I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like the crushing victory we all hoped for.
Basicly the baddies say "We can't win but we can drag this out or you pay us off so we can go sue someone else"
Keep in mind that ANY settlement is without prejudice, precious metals could have realized they weren't going to win and could be requesting settlement to avoid further loss of resources and (more importantly) a legal precedent against them. Similarly, PGI would be foolish not to settle if it's in their favor as it removes any legal hangups prior to the release of MW5 (like Battletech suffered) and saves them resources. There's really no way to know until the dust settles but I'm optimistic. The biggest question I have is whether HBS will be included in the settlement so they can use the unseen.
No.
What that motion says is "Look, we think we're able to reach a settlement. But we're still working out the details. Given that, both parties want to basically put the judicial timetable on ice, so that we're not both discussing settlement and dealing with court deadlines. So we're going to withdraw our pending motions. But we want to withdraw without prejudice, so that if negotiations go south, we can start back up where we were."
Serious question here ~ Would this not now involve Paradox as well, since they have purchased HBS?
HBS is out of the lawsuit as of a month or so ago; they and HG agreed to dismiss that part of the case with prejudice. So, no.
It's entirely PGI vs right now. CGL (the table top portion of Btech) is still 'on the hook' but they're in default as they never responded so are just along for the ride essentially. Hopefully for their sake a settlement includes them but as far as I know doesn't necessarily need to.
It physically cannot. PGI does not have the power to act in lieu of CGL's own legal representation or make binding agreements on their behalf.
Is it possible to make dropping the suite against CGL a stipulation in the settlement?
Obviously PGI can't agree to something for CGL but they could bring them to the settlement table (in theory) and if HG agrees to it, settle to avoid the default judgement. I'm not saying they will or won't just that they could. Which is why I said "hopefully". Otherwise CGL is going to be paying out for never responding.
I totally get this, it's just not the "judge comes into to the court room, bangs the hamer on the desk and tells the party-that-shall-not-be-named something along the line of 'if you ever bring any of this up again, I will sentence you lot to be stripped butt-naked and hosewhipped throught the streets' I was kinda hoping for.
So if they are dismissing without prejudice that means HG is free to start this crap again right?
This is very interesting and seemingly out of the blue. I wonder if PGI is for sale........
No.
The case is not being dismissed.
The motions that HG and PGI most recently filed are being mutually dismissed without prejudice, and the case is essentially being put "on ice" for a while, because both parties think they can reach a settlement.
The reason you're seeing "dismissed without prejudice" is, like I said above, because they're both agreeing that settlement seems likely, but in the event that settlement doesn't happen, both sides can refile their motions and the case can resume.
By the way @Landsknecht
Thank you for doing Blakes work and helping us rabble digest all the news that is outside our wheelhouses during the course of this long process.
Thank you for doing Blakes work and helping us rabble digest all the news that is outside our wheelhouses during the course of this long process.
A rather interesting development, I would have thought PGI would push to get a decision, but ultimately I suppose they made the best business decision (for them). Obviously, we won't know the exact details, but if people don't lose their owned unseen mechs in MWO or PGI doesn't wind up losing a large amount of money, then we can assume the issue worked out to PGI's benefit. I remember when they first released the unseen they went to significant lengths to make them original creations and created enough differences that they believed they would be able to stand up in a court. Maybe they did.
Hey, my pleasure! I'm just as invested in the lawsuit results as anyone else on the forum*, so I want to help make sure that everyone's on the same page re: discussion.
The process is an arcane one sometimes, and attorneys throw around jargon at the drop of a hat, which doesn't help matters any. *...er, anyone who isn't staff
Doing it with empiricism and without editorial was the necessary hurdle. It's hard for humans to do this (its counter to our nature), and I know I am grateful to everyone who made the effort to try an keep things thus.Hey, my pleasure! I'm just as invested in the lawsuit results as anyone else on the forum*, so I want to help make sure that everyone's on the same page re: discussion.
*...er, anyone who isn't staff