Ravensburger, publisher of long-awaited new release disney lorcana The trading card game company has issued a formal response to a lawsuit filed by competitor Upperdeck. In it, the game and toy maker called Upperdeck’s lawsuit “the legal equivalent of alchemy” and demanded that it be completely dismissed. The announcement, made in Thursday’s news release, contains a 34-page legal response. But this also drops the name of one of the most talented legal minds in the tenuous field of TCG law, Brian Lewis. He helped pave the way for his current legal position as Wizards of the Coast’s general counsel. Magic: The Gathering — but more generally it also includes the larger ecosystem of modern trading card games.
To stay up-to-date on current issues, understand that the Upperdeck lawsuit came to light on June 7th and was settled with some pretty dramatic shock. In it, the California-based publisher of sports cards, games and trading cards claims: disney lorcana Co-designer Ryan Miller had previously created a similar game that was “nearly identical.” disney lorcana Under contract with Upper Deck. It also seeks an injunction to cancel the game’s planned release in August of this year.
Ravensberger vehemently disputes Upperdex’s claims. In his reply, Ravensberger questions the timing and venue of the lawsuit itself. Overall, Upperdeck’s efforts to design a competing TCG are portrayed as lazy and the legal disputes as wholly opportunistic.
“Upperdeck said that had it known about Miller’s employment at Ravensberger and the company’s commitment to a competing TCG, it would have demanded the return of confidential information and prevented employees from contacting Miller. claiming,” the motion reads. dissolution. “However, when the game was announced in September 2022, Upperdeck was aware of Miller’s employment at Ravensburger and his commitment to Lolucana. The deck did nothing.” The Upper Deck can no longer mourn the damage it has done by its own inaction. “
This is a seemingly complex case, touching on issues of employed labor and non-compete agreements (or lack thereof). But at its core, this is a lawsuit about game mechanics. It is therefore notable that Lewis has joined as legal counsel to Ravensberger. That’s because Lewis helped secure the first protected patent for his 1990s and early 2000s Wizards of the Coast roles. magic At the time of launch. Those same patents and related legislation have since formed the legal framework for trading card games around the world.Without them, neither is likely to come true magic Or other successful TCGs will exist in the same format as they do today.
“Ravensberger has a very strong case here,” Lewis said in a news release. We respect the valid intellectual property rights of others, but this appears to be a PR act rather than a true legal dispute. I should also add that I have been fortunate enough to know Ryan Miller personally for over 20 years and consider him a man of the highest ethical standards. “
“We are delighted to be moving forward with the legal process and are very confident in our position,” said Lisa Krueger, senior communications director for Ravensberger North America. “In the meantime, our team will continue to focus on future launches. I can’t wait to see them start buying.”
If you want to learn more about the basics of Lewis’ 30+ years of work in the TCG field, check out: 95 minute in-depth interview with the Booster Pack Network From January.
