Another Epstein

[MageBlue]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enad_Global_7

Key people

Jason Epstein (chairman)
Ji Ham (acting CEO)
Fredrik Rüdén (deputy CEO, CFO)

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https://www.everquestguides.com/ever...ity-reactions/


If Enad Global 7 is making such a tiny amount of money for their EQ IP - maybe eqemu community could have a 60 day Kickstarter campaign to acquire it:

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(asked chatgpt 5 thinking)


if a company no longer wants to protect IP for a game what can they do so others can freely use it? ==

Short answer: publish the game under clear, permissive licenses (or dedicate it to the public domain) and clean up trademarks/patents so people can actually use it without fear. Here’s the practical playbook.

# What they should do (by IP type)

**1) Copyright (code, art, music, writing)**

* **Best “free as air”:** dedicate to the public domain with **CC0** (for art/audio/writing) and **The Unlicense** (for code).
* **Best “almost free, but credit”:** use **MIT/Apache-2.0** (code) and **CC BY** or **CC BY-SA** (assets).
* **Why:** “Stopping enforcement” isn’t enough—people need an **affirmative, written license** that’s broad and (ideally) **irrevocable**.

**2) Trademarks (game title/logo)**

* Copyright freedom doesn’t grant use of the **name**. Options:

* **Abandon** the mark (file voluntary surrender and stop using it).
* Or publish a **permissive trademark policy**: allow nominative/descriptive use but forbid implying endorsement.
* If you *want* forks to freely use the name/logo, say so in writing—or they’ll have to rebrand.

**3) Patents (if any cover tech in the game/engine)**

* Publish an **express patent license** or a **covenant not to sue** for all uses of the released materials.
* Apache-2.0 includes a patent grant; MIT does not (add a separate covenant if using MIT).

**4) Secrets/third-party content**

* Remove anything you **don’t own** (licensed fonts, stock art, middleware, SDKs). Replace with open alternatives.

# Clean, concrete steps

1. **Inventory rights:** list code repos, assets, soundtracks, scripts, tools; note third-party bits.
2. **Scrub & replace** third-party or confidential content.
3. **Choose licenses:** e.g.

* Code: **Apache-2.0** (permissive + patent grant) or **Unlicense** (public domain).
* Assets: **CC0** (public domain) or **CC BY** (credit).
4. **Add LICENSE files** at the repo root and in asset folders; include a **NOTICE** with copyright holders.
5. **Trademark plan:** either abandon the mark or publish a **Trademark Permission** stating allowed uses.
6. **Publish source & assets** (e.g., GitHub) with a plain-English announcement: “We are releasing X under Y; you may use, modify, and redistribute, including commercially.”
7. **Make it irrevocable:** avoid licenses you can yank later; say “this grant is perpetual, worldwide, and irrevocable.”
8. **Archive:** submit to **Software Heritage**/Internet Archive with your permission statement for preservation.

# Handy templates (you can drop these in)

**A) Code (Apache-2.0) one-liner for README**

> This code is released under the Apache License 2.0. You may use, modify, and distribute it, including commercially. See LICENSE for details.

**B) Assets (CC0)**

> All art, audio, and narrative assets in `/assets` are dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0. No attribution required. See `assets/LICENSE`.

**C) Trademark permission (if you’ll allow the name)**

> We grant a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use the game title “FOO QUEST” and its logo solely to identify and distribute versions or derivatives of this game. This license does not permit implying our sponsorship or endorsement. We may update brand guidelines for quality or anti-fraud, but this permission is otherwise irrevocable.

**D) Patent covenant (if applicable, for MIT/CC0 stacks)**

> To the extent we own any patents that would be infringed by using, making, selling, offering for sale, importing, or otherwise exploiting this project, we grant a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable (except for breach) license to do so.

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If you want, tell me what game pieces exist (code engine? art? soundtrack? any third-party middleware? a registered mark?), and I’ll produce ready-to-ship LICENSE files and a public announcement tailored to that stack. (Not legal advice; for anything high-stakes, a 1-hour review by an IP attorney is worth it.)