It’s been a couple of years for Interplay who’ve been in several legal disputes with Bethesda over a 2007 deal regarding the Fallout brand, as well as recently warning investors that they are close to collapse. By now both companies are probably regretting the deal, which has seemingly caused nothing but trouble since it was made.
While Bethesda has been unsuccessful in a legal battle to stop Interplay using the Fallout license, the recent victim of Bethesda’s legal assaults is Bulgarian indie developer Masthead, who Bethesda has attempted to file a restraining order against. The order has come as a result of Interplay hiring Masthead to create an MMO based on the Fallout brand, called Project V: 13. Bethesda, as owner of the Fallout IP, feels this is outside the terms of their licensing agreement.
The application was denied before Masthead even had to defend themselves however, as Judge John F. Walter has said that Bethsoft “has not demonstrated that it will be irreparably prejudiced if the requested ex parte relief is not granted.”
He also expressed displeasure over the amount of time Bethesda waited before filing the application, seemingly implying that it was done intentionally.
Source: Develop
