"What's not clear to me is whether there is anything King could do to protect their IP without harming Banner Saga."
I believe the term you're looking for is trademark licensing.
So the trademark licensing contract would read something like:
1) Pay us $1
2) Plus legalese for "only valid as long as you don't disparage us in public" and "you are not to even joke about impersonating us" and "include a phrase similar to trademark used under license by King, somewhere in the ads/docs deep in the fine print."
3) Equals you get to use our "* saga" trademark, perhaps just this one game or just for a decade or whatever wiggly
(Note: The disney company has not sued every tee-shirt company they've ever hired to make a mouse tee shirt... this about the same kind of transaction, more or less)
Well said. Depending on their intention their lawyers will either make a very favorable licensing deal, or will ruthlessly attack Stoic. The point is there MUST be a strong opposition from King in order to protect the trademark in the future.
I believe the term you're looking for is trademark licensing.
So the trademark licensing contract would read something like:
1) Pay us $1
2) Plus legalese for "only valid as long as you don't disparage us in public" and "you are not to even joke about impersonating us" and "include a phrase similar to trademark used under license by King, somewhere in the ads/docs deep in the fine print."
3) Equals you get to use our "* saga" trademark, perhaps just this one game or just for a decade or whatever wiggly
(Note: The disney company has not sued every tee-shirt company they've ever hired to make a mouse tee shirt... this about the same kind of transaction, more or less)