Gaymer Sub-Reddit Faces Legal Threat

[EstrogenicMuscle]

Hey y'all, I have a copyright on the word fun. You're no longer allowed to use it anymore.

Anyone who tries to have "fun" without my permission is going to get sued.

 

[Weaver]

This sounds kinda gay to me.

 

[Megacherv]

T-Tim...Tim Langdell...he's back...

 

[Hero in a half shell]

This is all I'm going to post. It's sooo appropriate.


What a great name.

 

[gigastar]

Thats odd. If the term "gaymer" is as old as 2003 then why have i never heard of it?

I mean, for something that is obviously a Daily Mirror-level pun i would expect it to be thrown out alot more by dickbags of a certain kind whom make untoward decisions about others then make thier views loudly known until everyone else accepts that it is the case.

Or, for the short version, if "gaymer" is a well-known term then why the hell did my school bullies not use it at all?

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Chris Vizzini is really being a dick about this situation, and he really is sticking it to reddit, huh? I wonder if the gaymers on reddit are just going to take it.

....haha

 

[Playful Pony]

Or, for the short version, if "gaymer" is a well-known term then why the hell did my school bullies not use it at all?

I was thinking the exact same thing. I AM a gay gamer, and I have never heard this term before X3. And my schools bullies used EVERYTHING else, so it seems strange to me that they would miss this one...

Maybe I'm just from the wrong country?

 

[Caffiene]

Does sound like the case has much merit, to me.

As mentioned in the OP, the convention is not covered by the trademark, and I suspect that the "Likelihood of Confusion" between a website and a reddit subforum is very low especially considering the likely tech knowledge of gamer reddit users.

Theres a very strong argument imo that the typical reddit user will not be confused and think that the reddit subforum is somehow an official product or representation of gaymer.org, and that can definitely be grounds for defence.

 

[UNHchabo]

snip

Because heterosexuality is the norm, LGBT folks often don't just have one moment of "coming out"; they have to do it every time they make new friends or enter a new community. At times coming out can be very difficult, because you don't know what the reaction will be. Sure, there may not be any open homophobia at SDCC or PAX, but some attendees could still be incredibly uncomfortable around a gay man, for instance.

Gaymercon is billed as a place where everyone will be implicitly and explicitly accepted. Yeah, I want to attend PAX (and would have this year if not for finances), but I also want to attend Gaymercon, because it sounds fun. For some LGBT folks, this might literally be the only place they're comfortable enough to not hide their true self.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I'm surprised the article didn't mention the escapist's own "Escapist Gaymers" usergroup. It at least used to be big enough that it showed up on the first page of usergroups.

In fact, it still does, although its been pushed down to the last spot on the first page.

<link=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Escapist-Gay-mers>link.

Looks like it was founded in 2009, unfortunately, so it can't be used as proof that the guy making the trademark claim is full of crap.

Sidenote: I am neither gay nor a member of the usergroup I just plugged. I just spend way too much time on The Escapist, and am also annoyed by IP law in general.

 

[Goofguy]

Relax buddy, let them use it. If its a community that brings like minded and tolerant people together, where's the harm? Aren't there bigger things to worry about?

 

[SeaCalMaster]

Seriously tho, we aren't allowed to call out people of the gay community on anything without being labeled as homophobic or whatever, so I'll just sit back and watch this one play out.

You cut this shit out right the fuck now.

No, really. You heard me. When you drop into a discussion to say that making any comment that disagrees with something a gay person has said will be met with cries of "Homophobia," you are accusing all gay people of being unreasonable. You are implying that the experiences of those in the LGBT community are less valid, and that they are wrong to ever feel offended. And yes, that is homophobic.

There are some people who can't handle criticism, and they might play the gay card in order to avoid having their ideas examined. This is wrong and unfair. However, you don't get to assume a priori that all gay people will have this sort of response.

 

[piinyouri]

Can I just say this?

"Gaymer" Is an incredibly lame ass pun and I would be embarrassed to be known as one. I mean isn't the whole point of all this tolerance/no-stereotype crap and what not supposed to be that your sexual orientation isn't your sole defining feature? So then why do you have to go to such lengths to make sure everyone knows your a gay gamer? The fact that you're gay shouldn't really matter, right?

No, it shouldn't.

I don't even know where to begin with this, so I'm just going to say this, along with parades and the like are not helping your/our cause. At all.
In fact it's just reaffirming that we are fundamentally different from 'normal people'.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

I didn't know sexuality was an issue in the gaming community.

Oh wait, is that why 6-year-olds run around and say "******" to anyone who pwns their underage ass on Call of Duty?

 

[Woodsey]

-'the Gaymer name is something I worked hard on'-

Really? I thought I came up with that one late one night drunk as hell...

...

Seriously tho, we aren't allowed to call out people of the gay community on anything without being labeled as homophobic or whatever, so I'll just sit back and watch this one play out.

I can't believe you pulled that quote and you didn't go for the jugular. I mean, it's just sitting there. WAITING.

And why, what have you tried calling out the gay community for? Shoving it down your throat? Waving it in your face?