White Wolf sue WWE over Gangrel

[Steveweiser]

RPG developers White Wolf are suing WWE over their use of the Gangrel gimmick - when Gangrel debuted in 1998, WWE and White Wolf agreed a five year lease for the name, with White Wolf being credited at the end of every episode. However, Gangrel appeared on RAW XV, and White Wolf weren't credited, so they're suing.

reporter.blogs.com/thresq/2008/02/posted-by-mat-9.html

[WarriorWarrior]

Big babies. One appearance?

[Mac]

I guess technically they have a case. If Triple H appeared in a comic WWE would probably sue??

[Secret Clown]

Time for Vince to get the checkbook out again

[Jay Peas 42]

Yeah, they should really get these intellectual property issues under control.

[Deleted]

White Wolf should be happy for the small amount of publicity the character got them. I love White Wolf, but 99% of the publicity they get is due to some wacko LARPer shooting some school up. I understand the copyright issues, but still.

[EvilMasterBetty, Esq.]

I smell settlement!

[Ratings]

That's ridiculous.

[Joekishi]

For use of his image or use of the name?

For the battle royal?

[Steveweiser]

Use of the name.

[Mac]

Prove that they called him Gangrel. If the closed caption thread has taught us anything they may have very well called him James Prell

[Cactus Jack]

I remember seeing the message all the time; "Gangrel is a trademark of White Wolf".

[DiBiase is Good]

ratings said:

That's ridiculous.

What part?
WWE used a trademark they do not own. They don't have a leg to stand on.

[Mr. Mediocre]

dibiaseisgood said:

ratings said:

That's ridiculous.

What part?
WWE used a trademark they do not own. They don't have a leg to stand on.

Yeah...this is a pretty easy win for White Wolf. They should make an alright amount when this one gets settled.

[BlackJackRobby]

Am I totally wrong in thinking that when the WWE made the Gangrel character name they did not know White Wolf even existed?

I always thought that to be the case, and the Gangrel character in the series is a vampire but other then that he is nothing like Gangrel.

Seriously Marvel makes less of a deal for Hulk Hogan being Hogan.

They used to pay for that name, you never saw a Marvel notice on anything though.

So they can pop all there nerd zits, but I will never buy into the crap that they sell. Worst part is you know they will make money in an out of court settlement.

[DrBackflipsHoffman]

I'm with white wolf on this, i was shocked and apalled when i expected a computer generated text based RPG vampire to stroll down the aisle and got Vampire Warrior Vachon instead, i want in on the cash.

[Steveweiser]

There was Marvel stuff all the time for Hogan. The period in the early 2000s when they just called him Hollywood Hogan was because they didn't renew the deal.

[Stu]

cactusjack said:

I remember seeing the message all the time; "Gangrel is a trademark of White Wolf".

I don't remember it. Was it printed in small text and appeared along with that small copywrite caption that's at the end of every episode?

[Crappler El 0 M]

Gangrel or Vampire Warrior commented recently that when they hired him back (presumably to be on the about-to-be-launched ECW), that they were having a lot of problems with the name Gangrel and that was part of the reason he wasn't being put on TV. They tried to call him other things but the fans at house shows kept calling him Gangrel. Gangrel then said that they gave the gimmick to Thorn instead and decided Gangrel wouldn't be used in that role at all.

[Banjo Is Broken]

So, all they had to do was say that Gangrel was trademarked by White Wolf, and then they'd be okay? Seems like White Wolf is just trying to get some money from the WWE.