MSX Association website updated

The MSX Association website was updated today. Apart from the best wishes for the next year, the site contains some very interesting extra information on the trademark of the MSX and MSXPLAYer logo. Also the FAQ&Tips section was updated.Websites related to MSX are allowed to use the MSX logo freely, with the following limitations:

The website does not contain illegal software or other copyright infringements
You can use the MSX and MSXPLAYer logo's that are downloadable on the MSX Association Website. You are only allowed to change the size of these logo's. (It's not clear if this are the only MSX logo's you're allowed to use though)
When using these logo's you have to mention at least once on your website that 'MSX' is the trademark of MSX association
You are asked (not obligated) to put a link to the MSX Association on your website (msxa.fcm.co.jp/) and mail the MSX association if you put up a link.
If you (want to) use an altered version of the MSX logo, you can mail to this address as well

For developers (software, hardware and magazines), the following rules apply:

In general, the same rules apply as on websites
If the MSX Logo's are on the cover/packaging of the product, you'll have to mention the MSX Association trademark as well
You are motivated to contact the MSX association to check if you did everything by the book

Also, there is a little investigation on a bug that appears on the PocketPC version of MSXPLAYer. On some PDA's it becomes impossible to start Windows Media Player after running MSXPLAYer. The bug is not fixed yet, but a patch can be expected in the near future. The websites lists PDA's that do and PDA's that don't generate this error.

*** Update This newspost gives better translated information on the MSX logo policy.

Relevant link

Comments (13)

By mth

Champion (507)

01-01-2003, 14:04

According to the US trademark database, the MSX trademark is still owned by ASCII (see
http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=73431197 ). I also searched the EU and WIPO trademark databases, but they contain no relevant entries for MSX.

In the Japanese trademark database I was unable to find owner information. What I did find is that the MSX logo that is trademarked is not the logo we all know: the M is drawn differently (see http://www.ipdl.jpo.go.jp/homepg_e.ipdl - registration number is 2270709).

By snout

Ascended (15187)

01-01-2003, 14:44

This is strange indeed!

By Latok

msx guru (3908)

01-01-2003, 16:32

Hm. Indeed. Check out registration number 4406131 It's registered in august 2000. Pretty futuristic...

By konamiman

Paragon (1187)

01-01-2003, 18:05

And what happens with MSX2, MSX2+ and MSX Turbo-R logos? They aren't available on the MSX Association page. Can't they be used then?

By Latok

msx guru (3908)

01-01-2003, 18:12

As far as I can see, MSX2 and MSX2plus logo's have never been 'copyrighted'. The MSX turboR logo did, however. Check the site mth mentioned and search on keyword 'MSX'. You'll find the 'MSXturbo' logo. Good question, konamiman! I don't know the answer....

By snout

Ascended (15187)

01-01-2003, 18:15

I do know the answer. The website mentions they are preparing other logo's like MSX2, MSX2+ turboR and even MSX-Music and MEGAROM logo's. We'll let you know as soon as they are available.

By DarQ

Paragon (1038)

01-01-2003, 19:55

bullshit!

i'd say, put you MSX logo online like you want it to be. When the MSX A starts to get messy about it, then just say it has been allowed by the DarQje

bleeh! pity!

By snout

Ascended (15187)

01-01-2003, 20:00

Actually, I think the MSX Association is very tolerant in this one. I don't see Microsoft allowing any website to use the MICROSOFT or the XBOX logo without paying for it or something. (or is that in fact allowed? I'm not sure??). Well, many companies are not fond of other people (sites, magazines etc.) using their trademarked logo's.

By msxgamesbox

Champion (397)

01-01-2003, 23:36

How will they control this? And what about this mention to copyrights infrigements? Does this mean they will not allow any site to host e.g. games that are still under copyright (all or almost all). This is really not clear.... anyhow I don't believe MSX Association can 'posecute' for this as they don't hold the licence of the games, right?

By snout

Ascended (15187)

02-01-2003, 00:49

They cannot prosecute you for hosting files which might or might not be illegal. The can prosecute you - if they find you and if they want to - for using their logo without their permission.

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

02-01-2003, 01:08

Just use common sense. MSX Assoc does not want to be linked to a site that promotes piracy. MSX Assoc does want to be linked to a site of an MSX developer making new products. MSX Assoc also wants to be linked to a site with nostalgia about MSX games.
You know placing ROMs or disk images of copyrighted games on the internet is piracy and against the law.
I think we can all be glad MSX Assoc doesn't impose a quality control upon us like Nintendo and Sony do!
Everybody should realize MSX is business again, the time of anarchy is definitely over...
Personally, I'd feel better if for example FuNET was kept a bit more underground, in stead of having all those sites with nothing more than links to it.

By Bernard

Resident (49)

02-01-2003, 06:02

First, about the copyrights: I am pretty sure the MSX Association actually holds these rights. Once Nasu showed me a huge pile of documents which according to him stipulated the MSX copyrights worldwide. I am not a legal expert, but as far as I could tell, these documents were authentic.

Next, I would also like to address the original message posted. Although the translation is right for most part, it misses some nuances. For legal issues like the use of logo's, these nuances may be important so I decided to translate the original homepage for the non-Japanese community. Here is what I made of it:

The conditions for use of the MSX logo

The MSX Association holds the trademark 'MSX'. In order to allow all
MSX users to employ this trademark in a wide range of situations, we
have established conditions regarding the use of the 'MSX' and 'MSX
PLAYer' logo's. We plan to announce the other logo's specified by the
MSX standard (MSX2, MSX2+, MSX Turbo R, MSX-MUSIC, megarom etc.) as
soon as our preparations are finished.

- Homepages which have MSX as their theme.

- For homepages which take MSX as their theme, you may use the
logo's freely regardless of the contents of the page. However, we do
not acknowledge this right for homepages carrying material for which
illegality such as the infringement of copyrights has been
confirmed.

- The logo image file is posted at the bottom of this page. Please
download and use it freely. You are allowed to make changes to the
size, but please do not change the horizontal to vertical ratio.

- Please put a line indicating that the MSX Association is the
holder of the MSX trademark on an easy to spot place on the
homepage. For example 'MSX' is a trademark of the MSX Association.

- Please put a link to the MSX Association's homepage
(http://msxa.fcm.co.jp/). In principal you do not have to inform us,
but to avoid links from homepages carrying illegal material, we
would appreciate a mail regarding the link. Mail address:
info@msxa.fcm.co.jp.

- People who want to add color to the logo, inverse the colors of
the logo, or perform similar graphical operations, please contact
us.

- Amateur productions such as software based on the MSX standard and
magazines.

- Treatment is the same as for homepages. Please put the logo and
the trademark notice on an easy to spot place on either the package
of the software product or the cover of the magazine.

- We would appreciate if you would contact us for confirmation
before distributing your product.

I will send a mail to Nasu to ask to put an English version of the homepage up as well.

Regards,

Bernard Lamers

By Latok

msx guru (3908)

02-01-2003, 09:00

Bernard, indeed some interesting nuances here. Thank you very much for the work you put in translating the original Japanese text.

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