There is now a real live example on how games and licenses can become lost in legal license problems.

Gamasutra have a page on the issue, which is quite informative -

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/183341/Dispute_ensues_over_rights_to_STALKER_franchise.php

To summarise (as I see it) - GCS Game World had the rights to produce the S.T.A.LK.E.R. games series, based on the "Roadside Picnic" novels. The novels where also the basis for Tarkowski's movie "Stalker". Last year GCS folded, and BitComposer got the world wide rights to the universe. However, in recent turns, Sergiy Grygorovich (who owns what is left of GCS) states that BitComposer only have the rights to the books and the film, not to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. BitComposer would like to continue within S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe and expand on that brand, but is now unable until this is sorted out. It may also have further implications on the existing games depending on what happens. So far this is an interesting case to follow.

(My interpretations may off course be completely wrong)

wow that mess really is making my head hurt..
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/1238157980_scanners_-_head_explosion.gif

I don't think GSC ever had a proper license agreement with the authors of the book. It was probably detached enough to be sold as it was without a license. Copyright on Soviet stuff is "iffy" anyway.

Now, BitComposer holds a videogame license to games based on the Novel Roadside picknick. They do not have the rights to the STALKER series which was published by GSC.

So they can make a videogame very closely to Stalker and especially Roadside Picknick. But they cannot draw from the unique world created by GSC.

Now, the remaining brother could sue the "Estate" of GSC or whoever is currently making money with the game. But I don't see that happening.

It's little bit like the bond movie Fireball with Sean Connery or the Casino Royal with *insert famous actor I forgot".

Wait, there were some talks that Bethesda bought the rights? What happened to that?

EDIT: So from what I can tell, this has nothing to do with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. but with games based on the Roadside Picnic book.

You like Stalker and roleplaying games?

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/100243/STALKER---The-SciFi-Roleplaying-Game

There you go - its as close to the road side picnic as you can get.. You have read the original book and watched the movies as well yes?

--

At sometimes they were making tv series of Stalker, I wonder if its still being produced or wheter it died before its time..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AQteAauItA

The Bethesda issue was a claim by Galyonkin (on his blog), which never got confirmed by anyone.

So there could theoretically be 2 game series based off the same source then? That would be the most acceptable outcome I think but then legal issues never get resolved that way. :/

If ya want another example of messed up licensing look up the System Shock series. I read before that the developer was afraid of giving too much control to the publisher so they kind of split the licence between them but the developer bit the dust and was taken over by an insurance company which now holds half the rights with EA having the other half. :/

Actually, GSC produced a transformative work inspired by both the novella Roadside Picnic, and the film Stalker.

Boris Stugatsky granted them permission to produce the game commercially.

Bit Composer have the rights to produce games based upon Roadside Picnic / Stalker.

The main difference being GSCs work was tranformative - it changed the universe / settings substantially. What we can expect from Bit Composer is likely to be something closer to the original.

On a side note, Bit Composer allegedly still owe GSC royalties.

Edit: if you want to know more about tranformative works etc, check Don's blog at http://legalminimum.blogspot.com - very useful if you're in a creative role. The guy knows his stuff and used to rep Microsoft among others.

Edit2: Didn't see your post there SimonG!

Stalker Shmalker, how about a Monday Begins on Saturday game?

Very nice blog. Now let's see how this wacky common law works...

I hope they can resolve the rights issues soon. A new STALKER game would be great. I've only played the first one, but it was incredible.

Then look forward to the completion of this, standalone total conversion mod:

http://www.moddb.com/mods/lost-alpha

It's such a shame that post-apocalyptic settings are so rare and hard to come by, otherwise this would be no big deal because who gives a shit.

Oh wait.

After 10 minutes of reading, I understand absolutely nothing.

Whatever happens, at least I still get to play 3 awesome S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games.