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Twelve, OG Reach CID The Dummy IP Rights Resolution
by Chris Remo
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November 2, 2009
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Developer Twelve Interactive and publisher OG Interactive have settled a dispute over the ownership of intellectual property and distribution rights to Twelve's multiplatform game CID The Dummy.
Under the terms of the settlement, Italy-based Twelve will continue to own the property rights to CID The Dummy, while OG Interactive will distribute the game in most territories worldwide -- an arrangement that is largely similar to the pre-conflict state of affairs.
OG Interactive is effectively the successor to Oxygen Games, CID's original publisher. When Oxygen faced financial collapse, its CEO Jim Scott formed a new company, OG Interactive, acquired many of Oxygen's assets, and hired much of its staff. At that point, according to Twelve, OG Interactive asserted a certain degree of ownership over CID, and Twelve publicly refuted those alleged claims.
Now, both companies acknowledge Twelve's ownership of the CID IP, as well as OG Interactive's license to distribute the game at retail for PC, PlayStation 2, Wii, and PSP in all worldwide territories except Russia on PC, and Japan. Twelve has retained worldwide Nintendo DS distribution, worldwide PC digital distribution, and pan-platform distribution in Japan, while Playten has been tapped for Russian PC distribution.
The companies appear to have resolved their differences with minimal financial and legal wrangling. Representatives of both firms released statements acknowledging the settlement and expressing a desire to end the public feud.
"We had a dispute with Oxygen which both sides were trying to resolve before Oxygen went into administration," said Twelve founder Giuseppe Crugliano. "Whilst we believed the contract wasn’t settled in full, Oxygen believed they had fulfilled their obligations. Together we have been able to reach an amicable compromise.
"It is inevitable that in putting in place a rescue package for the business of Oxygen, issues such as this arise," Crugliano added, "but I am glad we have now finally resolved it with OG and can move forward with maximizing the sales of the game."
Said Scott, "I am pleased to have cleared this matter up. Contrary to reports, I didn't believe we had acted improperly in any case, but there was a genuine disagreement and it has been settled. I believed at the time that Oxygen did not and does not owe Twelve any money and am keen to set the record straight and move on."
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