They should leave this guy and his site alone!

I'm not sure they can make him turn over the website name to them. Fallout is a broad enough term that, had this person not specifically been giving away merchandise specifically tied to Bethesda's Fallout series, he could have made, and probably still make, the claim that he's simply created his own website using a common word. Similar to how there's a Rockstar Games, and a Rockstar Energy Drink. Fallout Posters could just have been this person's own creation.

Very depressing to read news like this. I love Bethesda games, but after the fallout MMO mess that happened a while ago, I wouldn't put this past Bethesda...

Bethesda really needs to fire their lawyer firm. This is just plain stupid.

There are always two sides to a story, all I see here is one side with comments from that one side.

Is this REALLY needed? People love fallout but a lawsuit with a man who wanted to put up posters of fallout things is just a bit to much. I know that its against the law and big companies love the word sue but you really don't need to sue everyone who just loves fallout. So Bethesda's lawyers calm down, its not like hes going to become the next billionar

Next thing Bethesda will do is start suing people for making mods that fix their broken games.

EDIT: After visiting the site, it was clear this guy had taken in-game images. My original thought was that he made them up, just within the Fallout universe (I was thinking custom Vault Boy images).

Any company owns the rights to their creative properties. I can't go out and start making posters that contain anyone's trademarked creative property. Yes, they could have been more polite about it, but I'm sure they felt that asking nicely wouldn't have gotten the job done. Law is law, and the comments I'm seeing on here from people saying they are "done" with Bethesda, or eluding to Bethesda being some kind of emotionless corporate giant are ignorant. Bethesda hires lawyers to look out for their interests so that they can focus on what is important..making great games. How would you feel if someone took property, that by law belonged to you, and started releasing it all over the web without your permission? I would not like it one bit. Grow up and realize that people have to take the law into account before they do things like this. Bethesda's lawyers did the right thing....their job.

Just another big business marking its "territory."

What Jim failed to mention is that the posters being offered for free download weren't this man's own fan-art, but Bethesda-owned art assets protected under the Fallout copyright. All of those posters had appeared in games before. Still a tad harsh, but you gotta protect your IP. It's the world we live in.

if they want to own the domain name they should be offering him compensation for it.. and yes some swag too lol

Bethesda works with grumpy lawyers...

I suggest everyone go to the source and read his response, the end of which is particularly entertaining. Good luck Mr Anderson!

Indeed, the lawyers are the ones that suck here (and by extension Bethesda for hiring them). Sucks that things turned out this way.

This, Horse Armor, and Brink are the only bad things that have come out of Bethesda.

Whatever the truth is that if he created his own stuff IN the universe than Bethesda could have instead of sending in the marines to totally bring him down offered to work some kinda deal that works for both sides, like maybe hiring him or somethin like that.

What a bummer.. I only just heard about the site now.. GG Bethesda, you giant jerkoffs.

I see it coming. bethEsdA...

but I prefer Bugthesda

If the posters were directly from Fallout, I would understand. The posters were "Fallout-related", GET OVER YOURSELVES, BETHESDA! If Nintendo would have pulled jerk-moves like that and got money for every fan-inspired project over the Internet, they would be able to run the Japanese government with all that money...

Videogame Developers are supposed to take pride in there work, and this is another reason for every creditable gamer to consider Publishers evil.

Was Bethseda purchased by EA or Activision recently?