Licensing of Mechs, tanks or fighters

[Metallgewitter]

After reading throuhgh some TRO's I found interesting tidbits. for example the Firestarter Mech was manufactured by Argyle Industries on Skye until the factory was destroyed in the 3rd sucession War. After that several manufacturers began constructing the Mech for example Coventry Metal Works. My question is: did those companies simply reverse engineer the Mech or did they aquire the specifications from the defunct company? I would assume it should have been the latter as the original company probbaly went bankrupt and their intelectual property gets auctioned of to cover debts. And is there something of a IS spanning legal court system that deals with license infringements? There is at least one example (I think that was the Vedette or the Pegasus) where a company blatantly copied the vehicle and the state (in this case the Confederation) protects the company from any backlash. Or another example: the Combine managed to reverse engineer the Tomahawk (without the full head ejection system) but I never read aynthing about Defiance filing law suits against the Combine manufacturer.

[AlphaMirage]

COMSTAR probably mediates legal matters between Successor States and might have acquired then licensed the patent as well since they have arbitrary amounts of money and an interest in making a return on their investment and keeping the Inner Sphere at war.

[Metallgewitter]

Fair point. Though in other cases (for example the Valiant) it states that this case will locked in Lyran and Federated Suns courts for years. Maybe it depends if said companies are international (like Earthwerks) or are only House-Specific. During the Star League the League courts were involved in mediation and also suppressing technological advances with patent violation claims to keep the Star League on top of all.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

In the new rec guides the chameleon is mentioned going through a bunch of legal battles as well as licensing issues.

[glitterboy2098]

we've had enough mentions of companies copying designs and the legal issues it brought to make me suspect that if the material says it was licensed, it was legitimately licensed.

[Hellraiser]

After that several manufacturers began constructing the Mech for example Coventry Metal Works. My question is: did those companies simply reverse engineer the Mech or did they aquire the specifications from the defunct company? I would assume it should have been the latter as the original company probbaly went bankrupt and their intelectual property gets auctioned of to cover debts. And is there something of a IS spanning legal court system that deals with license infringements? There is at least one example (I think that was the Vedette or the Pegasus) where a company blatantly copied the vehicle and the state (in this case the Confederation) protects the company from any backlash. Or another example: the Combine managed to reverse engineer the Tomahawk (without the full head ejection system) but I never read aynthing about Defiance filing law suits against the Combine manufacturer.

I think your thinking of the Maxim & the Confederation?  After the Maxim Corp folded the CC kept/started producing it illegally or something like that.

It goes both ways.
I think the FWL salvaged Spider & Guillotine plans from Newhart of New Earth in the 1st SW w/o paying for them.
   (Guillotine might have been by License previous to the fall of the Star League, but I know at least 1 of them was taken from the wreckage of the TH)

Meanwhile many companies after loosing their factories specifically DO sell off the plans to pay for rebuilding or settling workers compensation or whatever.
Skye was IIRC a scenario of they sold them to Coventry.
Coventry also picked up the Hussar plans from ComStar in the 50's (also from Newhart of New Earth) but C* had been building them on Terra out of Bonn Mekarmorworks who I assume got the plans when C* cleaned out New Earth in Operation Silver Shield.

By Tomahawk, do you mean the Hatchetman?   From what I understand it didn't go well & the program was canceled & not put into production, per Sarna anyway.

[Metallgewitter]

Yeah I meant the Hatchetman. In my language it's called the Tomahawk and I used that designation. From the TRO it sounded as if the Combine managed to build it but the samurai didn't like the hatchet and I think the production run was shunted to the Legion of Vega.

There is one example that is quite interesting: the Concordat was allegedly close to reverse engineering the Manticore and Defiance the then producer of said tank granted the Taurians a license in order to make a profit from it (I think that was the Manticore). Also was there anywehre a mention how long patents run in the BT universe? I know in real life it's 25 years but I get the feeling it is basically "eternal" in the BT universe.

[Maingunnery]

Also was there anywehre a mention how long patents run in the BT universe? I know in real life it's 25 years but I get the feeling it is basically "eternal" in the BT universe.

Well there is a clue in Objectives Lyran Alliance, p19:

GM’s most recent attempts to recoup royalties for the Devastator design failed in both Lyran and FedSuns courts, both of which found that the assault ’Mech had reached public domain.

[BrianDavion]

that's an intreasting point honestly, most star league era designs are centuries old, so almost certainly are public domain at this time

[Metallgewitter]

And interestingly enough some Mechs are not in production anymore like the Shootist. Makes me wonder if those design specs got lost or if it is too complicated to build (or rather obsolete)

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

In the case of the Hatchetman, DI probably didn't file suit because to actually get anything from the defendant, they'd need to file suit in a Combine court. The Combine doesn't even recognize other governments as having a right to exist, there's no way you'd get a fair shake in their courts.

[CrossfirePilot]

I believe after the release of Windows 2798, the Microsoft legal team took over all of the product licensing oversight for the Inner Sphere.  Having after 800 years of practice, become very adept at patent lawsuits.

[Metallgewitter]

I believe after the release of Windows 2798, the Microsoft legal team took over all of the product licensing oversight for the Inner Sphere.  Having after 800 years of practice, become very adept at patent lawsuits.

Microsoft works..even in 3151!

Jokes aside I found something interesting while flipping through the old TRO Project Phoenix. In the lore text for some Mechs it states that the manufacturer of the "Phoneix variant" grants the license to said variant to other manufacturers.
Sounds to me as if a new variant of an old Mech is worth a complete new license (though it would make sense as those Mechs are basically new Mechs given the structural and basic looks changes)

[Fat Guy]

From what I understand it didn't go well & the program was canceled & not put into production, per Sarna anyway.

Actually the 5K was introduced during the Jihad and is still in service in the ilClan era according to the MUL.

[CrossfirePilot]

This kinda reminds me of how Springfield Armory (I think) was sued by Mauser in WW1 for patent infringement.  They ended up losing the suit and owed damages to Mauser.