Blackmoor Trademark Now Registered to Estate of Dave Arneson LLC

 

As of March 4th, 2025, the Blackmoor Trademark is listed as Registered to the The Estate of David Arneson LLC. The estate first applied to register the Trademark of Blackmoor back in July 2021, but it seems there is a long and complicated process to move a Trademark from Pending Status to Live. 

It has been listed under the following categories for statement of use:

Toys and Sporting Goods Products Dice games; Role playing games; Tabletop hobby battle games in the nature of battle, war and skirmish games, and fantasy games, and playing equipment sold as a unit therewith.

Paper Goods and Printed Material Role playing game equipment in the nature of printed game book manuals

According to a press release from last year, the Estate of David Arneson LLC is Dave's Daughter Malia Arneson-Weinhagen, her husband Luke and their grandchildren. The same press release made it clear that Chris Graves, producer of the documentary "Secrets of Blackmoor", has been made 

"Authorized Representative and Bridge Troll for the Estate of David Arneson, LLC". 

Note that Mr Graves' associate Griff Morgan who runs the Secrets of Blackmoor account on X/Twitter and elsewhere has made it clear that he is not a spokesperson for the Estate".

At this point, no official statement has been made from the Estate about what this confirmation of the Trademark Registration would mean for the future of Blackmoor.

-Havard

Arneson Estate Responds to Ink Bat's Age of the Wolf

Over the past few months we have reported on this blog about Age of the Wolf after Ink Bat announced that they were bringing this project back for a GenCon release. 

Here is the official  response from the Arneson Estate:

 For Immediate Release (07/28/2024): 

Is The Age of the Wolf an actual work by Dave Arneson or even a Blackmoor setting? 

 

 The Arneson Estate believes it to be a fake. ​

The Estate of David Arneson comprises his much-cherished family, Malia, Luke, and Dave's grandchildren. Dave's family is very perplexed regarding the publication of Studio Ink Bat's "Age Of The Wolf" book. This manuscript is purported to be Dave Arneson's last major work which Studio Ink Bat plans to distribute during events at GenCon 2024. ​

 

One would think someone wanting to publish an original work by Dave Arneson, or even a work derived from Dave's ideas, would be excited to collaborate with the family of Dave Arneson for the published work to have authenticity.

 

This is far from what has transpired thus far. Studio Ink Bat's attitude and actions leave the Arneson family utterly baffled. Studio Ink Bat (aka Denise Robinson & C.A. Suleiman) show no respect to the family's legal right to control intellectual properties created by Dave Arneson and properties derived from his works. Additionally, Studio Ink Bat has wholly disregarded the family's feelings in matters which are very much a family decision. This leads the Arneson family to believe that Studio Ink Bat's publication, "The Age of the Wolf," is a counterfeit — which cannot be attributed in any way to Dave Arneson. Furthermore, the Estate emphasizes this publication violates their trademark and naming rights.

 

​ I want to emphasize here that we have not received any documentation proving the work is anything but a counterfeit. We are still very open to seeing anything that could disprove our current assessment, which could be forthcoming from Studio Ink Bat. ​

 

Studio Ink Bat's behavior is puzzling to us, as it was Studio Ink Bat who initially approached the Arneson Estate asking for the Estate's blessing on the "Age of the Wolf" book. At first, they claimed David Arneson had contributed to the manuscript before his untimely death in 2009. Since email exchanges with the Arneson Estate, they are now walking that back and saying he was leading a team producing this adventure. They also said they were publishing it to honor Arneson, the co-creator of D&D, and planned on giving 100 copies away for free at GenCon 2024 (the 50th anniversary of D&D). Sounds nice enough, and it could have been simple. We exchanged pleasantries back and forth and requested they provide the Estate with three things to move the process forward:

 

​ 1. We asked Studio Ink Bat multiple times to show us any documentation they have (e.g., notes, correspondence, or a contract) that shows Dave Arneson worked on this project or granted any rights to his intellectual property (his name or the Blackmoor name).

 

2. We asked Studio Ink Bat multiple times to send us the manuscript so the Arneson family could review it to determine if it is something the Blackmoor trademark could be attached to (e.g., would the family license the Blackmoor name to Studio Ink Bat based solely on the quality of the content). We received only a tiny sample which contained elements easily copied from previously published material.

 

3. We asked Studio Ink Bat to temporarily remove any public notices about the project until points 1 and 2 have been addressed. This would protect them from potential liability and was a first step for Studio Ink Bat to demonstrate an appreciation for Dave Arneson and his creations. Immediate action would also have shown respect to his family members.

 

These are things that any reasonable person would ask for to protect the legacy of a late and much-beloved father - none of the above requests were ever fully met. ​ Since Studio Ink Bat told us this event was a one-time small, free distribution, we thought any license fee could be as meager as a dollar. The Arneson Estate is in the business of licensing the Blackmoor trademark, and the distribution of an actual, unseen, unpublished Dave Arneson work could only be a good thing.

 

Not long after, it became obvious to us they did not understand how IP law works, when Studio Ink Bat replied "Well, since we're giving the book away for free we don't need your permission" to paraphrase. However, this is wrong on two points - they do not appear to be giving the book away for free, and IP rights infringement involves publication, and not money (see below).

 

Despite the situation clearly being a misunderstanding we continued to reach out, while at the same time making it known we were very open to coming to an agreement with Studio Ink Bat. ​

 

Yet, they have refused to show us any proof that Dave Arneson worked on it (instead, they told us they had no documentation and we should "look it up"). They have refused to show us the entire manuscript. And let’s not forget the phone conversation where they called the Estate “stupid”. We need time to examine the manuscript to determine if it contains anything of Arneson's work or style. Time is also needed to distribute copies to numerous scholars for expert assessments of the work and its validity.

 

Instead, they offered to send us money, possibly give us the rights to the book after GenCon, and other things — anything but fulfilling our simple requests. The issue is that without knowing the content or seeing any evidence that Arneson worked on it, we can't simply give them a license to make claims as to the attribution and or validity of this work. Hence, their offers of money and publishing rights are not pertinent. We informed them of this, and our requests to see the manuscript continued to be ignored. ​

 

Furthermore, from the small sample Studio Ink Bat sent, from other content on their website, and their apparent limited knowledge of IP law gathered from our correspondence, we believe the book could contain violations of other publishers' and authors' IP rights, which would make the book difficult or impossible to distribute — again, unless we can review the full content we can't make any determination as to who can make claims to this content. Additionally, the family doesn't want to attach Dave Arneson's name to a product without providing proper credit to any other creators of the content, as has often been done to work Dave produced. We'd still be more than happy to examine the manuscript. We are in a quandary, as once the book is distributed, it will likely be too late to resolve this issue in a friendly way. ​

 

Studio Ink Bat's seeming desire to force our hand in this manner leads to more confusion, as we would rather offer a handshake and be friends than do otherwise.

 

​ Even as a derived work bearing a Blackmoor trademark, which the Estate is in the business of licensing, we would still need to see the manuscript they have refused to provide. How can we issue a license to use the trademark without seeing it? We need to know what kind of content this book presents. Does the content meet the Arneson family's standards for a fun adventure book meant for general distribution, or is this book aimed at an adult audience? Would you license your father's legacy to something you knew little about, or worse, something which could lead to negative public opinion? We would've liked to get the whole picture, but they have yet to provide it.

 

And — we discovered they are not giving the "Age of the Wolf" away for free, but instead "shadow selling" their book at GenCon 2024. The admission fee for their 14 paid events at GenCon is $48 per person and comes with a "free Age of the Wolf book." Do you think an unknown company's first publication could sell out all 14 events at GenCon for $48 a head if they weren't using Dave Arneson's name and the Blackmoor trademark to promote it? We don't believe so. They are using the Arneson and Blackmoor names to sell a publication we can only believe is a fake.

 

Even if they were giving the copies away at a free admission event or simply handing them out gratis to people on the street, it still infringes on the Arneson family's rights. Infringement does not have to involve money changing hands — the law is about publication and distribution. One would think that in this situation, ethics demand transparency and cooperation at the very least.

 

The Estate of David Arneson's goal is to promote and protect the legacy of the co-creator of the game that has changed so many lives for the better — and help that legacy continue into the future for all gamers, David's children, and his grandchildren. Studio Ink Bat claims they are honoring Dave's legacy but are instead doing the same thing to Dave Arneson in death as many did to him in life by exploiting properties that are not theirs (Blackmoor and Arneson's name).

 

For those going to Gencon, who have paid up front to play in an actual Dave Arneson adventure, our advice is simple: Buyer Beware! It is up to you as individuals to decide if attending a NOT BLACKMOOR event has value to you.

 

Again, the Estate and the Arneson family are excited to discover a new Arneson Blackmoor setting - assuming it is real. Thus, we are more than happy to review the manuscript, but Studio Ink Bat has chosen to be unethical in our estimation.

 

Chris Graves Authorized Representative and Bridge Troll for the Estate of David Arneson, LLC © 2024 Estate of David Arneson, LLC.

Stay tuned for future updates.

-Havard 

Age of the Wolf not Sanctioned by Estate Morgan Says

Edit: I just talked to a source within Ink Bat Studios. They have clarified that the Age of the Wolf Sourcebook was not written by Dave Arneson: "like all but one of the Blackmoor supplements during the 3e and 4e eras, Dave did not write any of the book. He simply oversaw and approved it. We're just trying to honor Dave's own wishes and make sure he's not forgotten." They also says that from their perspective, Ink Bat's contact with Fellowship of the Thing (Griffith Morgan and Chris Graves) was just established and that they were still trying to make a deal. They were surprised that Fellowship contacted myself and other bloggers before negtotiations were finalized. Lets hope this is all just a misunderstanding and that things can be cleared up!

Yesterday we were excited to report that the legendary sourcebook Blackmoor Age of the Wolf will be released by Ink Bat Studio this August. The Age of the Wolf sourcebook was a project started during the 3E and 4E eras when Dave Arneson's company Zeitgeist Games and later their partners Code Monkey Press wanted to develop a new subsetting for Blackmoor. The manuscript along with a lot of illustrations were completed when Dave passed away and WotC announced that the Blackmoor lisence had been rewoked. This marked the end of Zeitgeist Games venturing into RPG publishing. 

What happened to the Age of the Wolf manuscript since then is not yet known, but I have confirmation that some of those working on Age of the Wolf are currently involved with Ink Bat Studios. Some of the designers involved have a long list of credits working in the industry and the final Blackmoor sourcebook, dubbed Blackmoor: The First Campaign was highly acclaimed by fans of newer and older editions. It is possible that they have spent all these years seeking to find a way to get the manuscript published. 

According to Griffith Morgan from the company Fellowship of the Thing (Secrets of Blackmoor Documentary, Tonisborg Sourcebook), Ink Bat Studios will not be allowed to publish Blackmoor: Age of the Wolf. "It is not sanctioned by the Estate", Morgan says. "If this is Arneson material it belongs to [Arneson's daughter]. They cannot use the Blackmoor Trade [Mark]. Wthout the family's permission, they cannot put Dave Arneson's name on it." I have not yet been able to get confirmation from the family, but Morgan says his company are operating under a lisence from the Estate.

Griffith Morgan as he appeared on Wandering DM's Youtube Channel three years ago. 

Morgan says Ink Bat Studios have been in contact with both the Estate and Fellowship of the Thing. Morgan says his company would love to publish the manuscript, but according to Morgan, no agreement was reached. 

Legalities about Blackmoor have always been complicated. Although I am no expert on these matters It is important to realize that Trade Marks and IP are two separate issues. An entity called the Arneson Estate LLC has made claim to the Blackmoor Trademark, but the Trademark registry status is still listed as pending, although an extension was granted on Feb 1. 2024. WotC also claim to own the Blackmoor Trademark through continued publication of PDF and Print material. 

When it comes to Blackmoor IP, things are even more complicated as multiple parties have supported Blackmoor across the years. 

For the sake of fans, many of us have been waiting for this source book since we first heard about the concept in the early 2000s, let us hope that some solution can be found so that we can finally see what this book was about. Before we know more, it is dangerous to speculate too much.

-Havard

Blackmoor Convention in October teased by SoB Team

 There has been a lot of talk about  Gaming Conventions connected to Dave Arneson and Blackmoor this year. A few days ago, the idea of a Blackmoor convention in October was teased by the Secrets of Blackmoor documentary team on Twitter. 

This is the same convention a different source told me about back in July, but the follow up tweet reveals a bit more about what may have been planned. 

The mention of the convention being close to Dave's birthday is why I speculate that they are looking for October since Dave's birthday is October 1st which has been celebrated for years here at this blog and the main Blackmoor fan hangout at The Comeback Inn and associated social media accounts. 

Fake autographs sounds a bit strange, but having Dave Arneson's daughter as a guest of honor at such a convention would be awesome. 

My main concern about this is that October is only a little more than a month away. However, for a "small and intimate" event I am sure they can still manage to organize something, especially if many of the locals are already aware of the details.

As I have stated in the past, I will support any project that seeks to honor Dave Arneson's legacy and I hope this convention will come to pass. If not this year, perhaps next year can be an option? Joining forces with DaveCon might help give that convention a boost, but two conventions could also mean twice the fun!

-Havard

Minnesota Team Plan Dave Arneson Convention in October 2022

 As a response to the post I made yesterday about DaveCon 2023, one of the members of the Minnesota Team of gamers reached out to me and told me a bit more about their plans for a separate convention in October this year. 

The Minnesota Team told me they do not wish to be seen as working against DaveCon. The original Blackmoor players have been meeting for gaming each year for as long as Dave Arneson was alive. When Dave passed away, Bob Meyer took over responsibilities as the Dungeon Master of the group starting with the memorial game in 2010 that Dave's daughter also mentions in Secrets of Blackmoor. The planned convention in October is to be a continuation of these annual conventions. While no official announcement has yet been made, I was told that David Wesely will be present running Braunstein Games as will Bill Hoyt. Most likely other members of the original group and their friends will also attend. 

What this means to me is that fans of Blackmoor, Dave Arneson and gaming in general get two conventions instead of one. And there seems to be enough of an interest to support both conventions. That is a very good thing. I hope as many as possible support all of these projects to commemorate the legacy of Dave Arneson and celebrate gaming in all its forms.

-Havard

Gygax Alumni to Celebrate Dave Arneson's Legacy at New Convention DaveCon in 2022

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The new gaming convention DaveCon was announced last year and is to be held in Roseville, Minnesota, for the first time this year from April 8-10th (bring a sweater probably?). Dave Arneson passed away on April 7th so it is possible that this is the reason for the date.

Although very little is known about the actual gaming events of the convention, the list of guests surprisingly included several names of people who had much stronger ties to Gary Gygax than to Dave, including Ernie Gygax and Tim Kask. It is nice to see that the theme of the convention is "Unification" which could be seen as an olive branch offered for the harsh criticism offered from the Gygax camp towards Dave when he was still alive. The inclusion of Ernie Gygax caused some concern given this Gygax son's association with the somewhat controversial TSR Con. This convention appears to be a completely separate event though, created by Victor Dorso of the newly formed Angry Dwarf Games.

It is also nice to see long time friends of Dave Arneson such as David Wesely and Bill Hoyt on the guest list. Convention website includes the following disclaimer: "Angry Dwarf Games LLC and DaveCon are not in any way affiliated with the Estate of Dave Arneson LLC". It is a shame that this convention has not reached out to Dave Arneson's family for this event. It would also have been nice to see the documentary crew from Secrets of Blackmoor appear at the convention, but they have apparently not been invited at this time. 

Hopefully, this convention will work out the remaining kinks in the months to come, and end up being a true celebration of Dave Arneson's legacy

-Havard

First Fantasy Campaign Belongs to Arneson Estate Bledsaw Confirms

The First Fantasy Campaign (FFC) was published in 1977 by Judges Guild. It was written by Dave Arneson and edited by Bill Owen. Dave Arneson once told me that Judges Guid President and gaming legend of his own Bob Bledsaw had later transferred the rights to the FFC back to Dave. The two had apparently always been on friendly terms, ever since Dave Arneson worked for TSR as a liason to the Judges Guild.

Today, Bob Bledsaw II  was asked if he had any plans to rerelease the First Fantasy Campaign as a Print on Demand Product to which he responded:

"Not in the near future, sadly. I would love to see her in print again. Dave and I spoke about it before his passing, and he said there was some editing he wished to do to FFC, but that he wanted JG to release it. The written content is owned by his daughter now, and I put no pressure on her. It will be as she wishes."

It is a shame that Dave Arneson never got to do the editing he wanted for the FFC to share it with fans, but it is nice to see that the agreement between him and the elder Bledsaw was a formal agreement.

Blackmoor is a registered trademark that belongs to Wizards of the Coast.


-Havard

New Map of Castle Blackmoor!

This map appeared today on the new Dave Arneson Facebook Page. The map was recently discovered by Dave's daughter. It appears to be a photocopy of of the map from the First Fantasy Campaign book (JG). However, a quick comparison reveals never before seen hand written notes identifying the purpose of several of the rooms.

Given where this map was discovered, it seems likely that these notes are from Arneson himself.

Pre-production cover for Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor (2006) 

It would also be interesting to compare this map in greater detail to the floor plans of Castle Branzol which formed the inspiration for the original castle. In 2006 ZGG published Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor, but the book contained little information on the Castle itself. It has been speculated that both the Castle and the Dungeon could have been part of the never published DA5, of which there still may be a yet unrevealed manuscript out there.

In any case, this new map adds another piece to the puzzle that is Castle Blackmoor!

-Havard

A Miniature of Dave Arneson

Some people get a statue in their honor. How should we best commemorate Dave Arneson? At the Maritime Mayhem event back in April, some of the attendees were discussing the matter with Dave's Daughter, Malia Arneson Weinhagen .

The idea of erecting a statue in Dave's memory might not have been something this modest man would have been comfortable with, Jeff Berry stated afterwards:

"we all agreed that if somebody had suggested this idea to Dave, he would have laughed his head off and very kindly told you that you needed to go soak your head in a bucket of water as your brain was obviously overheating; statues in the town square seemed silly to him. "

If not a statue, then what kind of a token could be made so that Arneson's many fans could remember him? Jeff continues:

I thought that running games for people to have fun with and at would be a more fitting tribute, and Malia [Arneson Weinhagen] agreed with me as she watched the mayhem and happiness unfold around the game table. We also talked about a Dave Arneson figure for people to have for games, and I'm going to see what I can do about that. Glasses, beard, and that Cheshire Cat grin; what more do you want in a wandering monster, eh?

 A miniature then, in the shape of the game designer himself to be used on every gaming table? This is something I would love to get my hands on.


(The fake miniature illustration was made using the software on this site) 



-Havard