"Armies Army - The Russian United States of the Kislev System" Topic

A name finally for my Neo Sov 15mm troops. Well one Im going to use in my own gaming world. What you call them is up to you and part of the joy of the game!

Russian United States of the Kislev System

RUSKS

and thanks go to all those that helped. In particular Rhysius Cambrensis (several efforts…in fair most rubbish :)

And as promised a free pack is on its way to the person who suggested the name and we have a winner…..

AVAMANGO

His suggestion was what inspired me to pick what I did. Inspire might not be the word…however it certainly helped! If you can email my blog with contact details, Ill send you a free pack :)

Next is some sci fi story telling for a fitting background or bumph to others for my RUSKS

ta

AA

AA

Kislev's a copyrighted name of GW, yeah?

Nope:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kislev

If he's planning on carrying a range of Hebrew months, you might have a point.

However in this sales context these are miniatures, and so it's probably a bad idea to use a term used solely by GW for miniatures. GW states on their website:

TRADEMARK INFORMATION
[…] Warhammer, Warhammer Historical, Warhammer Online, Warhammer 40k Device, Warhammer World logo, Warmaster, White Dwarf, the White Dwarf logo, and all associated marks, names, races, race insignia, characters, vehicles, locations illustrations and images from the Blood Bowl game, the Warhammer world, the Talisaman world, and the Warhammer 40,000 universe are either ®, TM and/or © Copyright Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2012, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. All Rights Reserved

… and as such it seems safer to just call them something else. Just trying to be helpful because as the Scene fiasco proved, GW is not above going after a small company.

That's fair. I don't think GW has an actual leg to stand on in this case, but I know they have enough lawyers to make it a pain to defend. Should they notice.

……

Moqawama here to the rescue.

Produce fluff where the R.U.S.K. origins lie in a mission of human colonists from the former Soviet Union which discovers an inhabitable planet which they christen 'Kislev' due to their Captain/Navigator/Helmsman being a Jew.

Greed Workshop can kiss your shiny pewter @$$ then!

and it was the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year….

In truth, I had no idea GW used it. However as I use it quite differently they can indeed do a Moqawama!

Your call of course ArmiesArmy but remember the people here egging you on to do it won't be the ones who get the letter.

Name change is the easiest thing in the world.

Kerensky
Kolchak
Kurland
Kuban
Kamchatka
etc

Just change Kislev to a different K.

Kalachinsk
Kaltan
Kamennogorsk
Khadyzhensk
Kirishi

all russian towns/cities starting with K and there are plenty more of them.

haha…wise men think alike…

Kamyshlov
Kansk
Karachev
Kasimov

blimey hundreds of them!

It might mean Avamango doesn't get his figures! Another thing to blast GW about!!

How's about Kursk? There was a famous battle fought there, I seem to remember. And I doubt GW would be able to sue over the use of that name.

Im thinking

Kirov

Point of fact.

In UK law you cannot copyright a name that is in the dictionary. You can trademark it but that is different.

In this case as Kislev is not being used for a race of fantasy russians in 28mm to match GW and is only part of a name then there is no clash with GW.

Mike

Russian vodka brand names come to mind too. Most of them are common names too. Unless you pick the rot gut stuff that is really cheap :-)

So Black Hat, are you saying that if I name a set of fantasy German models, with swords and shields, the Death Korps of Krieg then there's nothing that GW would do because their Death Korps is sci fi?

I'm not confident that I'd trust that advice, but TBH it's up to ArmiesArmy what they decide to do.

The law may be on your side, but so what? The only thing that really matters is how deep your pockets are and how much you can afford to spend on lawyers.
GW can outlast you, unless you have money to burn to prove a point. Good luck with that.

Remember that "free" legal advice can often be the most expensive.
Those with no skin in the game can cheer you on. They may be rooting for you, but it's not their money on the line.

Thanks Mike

I know you had some fun with GW to, so I think that Ill stick with what I have. Kislev it is

Kiev.

I have this strange idea that *I* introduced the term "Dogs of War" to the wargaming hobby.
Back in the early 80s, a group of us were degriefing after a WRG Ancients tournament. Beer was involved.
We were pondering what a tournament composed of troops no morale higher class than C, no armor higher tham "medium", etc would be like.
I growled "Let slip the dogs of war!" and a few laughed. So, a few years later, during my 10 year hiatus from gaming, a few "Dogs of War" tournaments were held.

Then, a few years later, GW introduced the term Dogs of War as mercenary regiments for Warhammer. It is copyrighted and trademarked.
I believe that if anyone tried to hold "Dogs of War" tournaments today that they would receive a "ceae and desist" letter first, if GW wanted to be nice.
The tournament holders would PROBABLY prevail, but at great expense.

The fact that the quote comes from Julius Caesar,
link
and Forsyth wrote a darn good novel made into an OK movie is irrelevant.
GW has the rights in gaming terms. Or, so they believe.
If the movie studio wanted to do a video game based on the movie, THEY would win because they can afford to spend more money on lawyers.

So, the real question is not whether GW is Evil and Greedy, but how much you can aford to spend on lawyers.

I'd say it's best to just change it if you aren't married to the name.

Another thing to consider is your cred with the gaming population out there. The last thing you want to end up with a rep as, "that guy who copied GW's name" even if they have no legal claim to the word or name itself.

The industry is already full of plenty of folks who are more than ready to point that your stuff is "like that thing" or "copies those" or even, "a rip off of such and such".

-Eli

A trademark applies to the name used to sell a brand/product/service. It's a distinction claimed by the company. EG "Apple", "Mc Donalds", "Trojans" etc …

IIRC Kislev would be a Suggestive Trademark, evoking Russia and Eastern Europe. GW uses it to promote their Fantasy range.

They could start legal proceedings on the basis that the product and name similarity might cause people to buy your product instead of theirs, essentially selling your product based on the good name and brand awareness another company has created for itself.

After that point you're just sending tons of money to your lawyer for him/her/it to argue with GW's hired guns in court …

GW can't stop you from making Fantasy Russians or Fantasy Germans with sword and shields, but if you do use the exact same name, you're digging your own grave.

The more specific similarities somebody can point out between your product and that of GW, the more ammo their lawyers have to use against you.

For more information do consult a copyright lawyer.

Use Kiev. Kevian Rus preceeded Muscovy, all the Tsars, the Streltsy and ANY Form of copyright law at GW. Hmm, I wonder if any of us who built Kislev armies for WFB could sue GW for lack of support, entrapment, or breach of contract?- Nah, . Maybe you could say you got the name based on the legend of disgruntled Mordheim or WFB player?

In UK law you cannot copyright a name that is in the dictionary. You can trademark it but that is different.

Oh good God.

THERE IS NO COPYRIGHT IN A NAME. Copyright adheres to a literary, musical or artistic "work" and that has to be more than a name or title.

Trademark law applies to a name or brand that is associated with a specific product or producer of a product. By using "Kislev" in relation to their 40K Imperial Guard GW have created a trademark (registered or unregistered) and as we have seen you with GW's IP lawyers at your peril.

w.

Ah, free legal advice.
Now ask us bout the lump on your neck.

Being totally bias here as i want those free miniatures, now that it has been pointed out should the Knesset or even the State Israel sue GW for using and then copy writing the named Jewish holiday of Rosh Chodesh (Kislev)?. I think this thread has been blown out of proportion its just a name which at the time i thought was original and in all honesty sounded Russian…

For some reason, Rusk makes me think of a popular multiplayer board-game or those stoic bug-centaur guys from Star Frontiers.

You are perfectly in the right, and that is totally irrelevant. How deep are your pockets? Can you afford the expense of "winning" a lawsuit?

Still not happy with the name RUSKS ;) I prefer my USSRC/СССРК. The Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics of the Cosmos.

Soviet union is much better proposition because it is not geographically chained to any place..

Russia is :>

So its not only of the Kisslev system, you have to have some kind of Russia here.. :>

Soviet – means council – so there is much potential for any soviets in space, even democratic or united.

Russo-Slavic Council or "RSC".

With all this talk of GW taking exception to the use of the name "Kislev", what about if Heinz aren't happy about you using the word "Rusks"? link
Only kidding of course, unless you're planning on calling the leader of the Rusks "Farley".

Russian Federation of Stars (RFS)

You could have the star of the capitol world be called Russia by the surveyers who found it. And if Russia was the name of the first officer's golden lab when they were a kid, and it was her turn to name the star that week, then so be it!

The name attracts some ethnic Russian immigrants/settlers. Bam.

" Our Russia is cold for a star, and very old. But then we always knew she would be. Mother Winter is always with us. She is in our blood. She called us here so we could lay down out troubles and start again. Now pass that Pierogi Hot-Pocket over Vassily. You've already eaten your half and then some. No, you can keep the soy sauce. I'm salty enough already. "

This is my last bit of input on this thread, simply change the spelling of Kislev to something like Kisslev as AWuuuu has done in his typo five posts up, by adding another 'S' to the name Kislev no one in infringing on anyone's copy written material. The End :)

Thanks all

I didn't really expect all this advice and response from choosing a name!

Rusks is going to stick (sorry Mr Farley), think it was a nice slang term similar to Ruskies to play on. As for Kislev I'm just not sure, I like it, however I'm not stuck to it, so I'm going to go for a different K name and all this trouble will float away….(I hope). Just need to decide. I may even have a poll, if I knew how to do it. Then again as a good Rusk general I may just decide myself and have anyone complaining shot by my politikal officers. Speaking of which, I have one coming out very soon:) Ive not decided if I should keep it separate or part of the HQ set as its of a particular taste. A bit like Marmite

my mate marmite

over and out

AA

Marmite … we used to have marmite and then we had an earthquake and the marmite factory fell down. Now, no more marmite :(

PS This is a true story.

If you buy some figures, Ill pop some in with it for you :)

A political officer to go with these guys would be great. Maybe aiming his pistol forward, while waving the grunts onwards to victory

Just posted my 1st test paint of a ROSK on my blog. Pics including one beside the Ground Zero TW DPRG at link

Ive one in the soon to be realeased pile! Pics here or on my blog

Nice eclipse

Like I said, I dont normally like black lined figures, however if done well ,as it is, it really brings the best out of the figure.

Which reminds me, Ive got to get back to sculpting some more!