TimeGate, Paramount Resolve Section 8 Name Dispute

A lawsuit between developer TimeGate Studios and Paramount Digital Entertainment over the name "Section 8" has been dropped, after Paramount surrendered rights to the name. Sugar Land, Texas-based TimeGate Studios (Kohan, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point) is currently developing cross-platform sci-fi FPS Section 8, but conflict arose when Paramount attempted to title an upcoming interactive web series with the same name, to which TimeGate officially holds trademarked rights. TimeGate filed a law suit in federal court on April 5, 2009, but when Paramount agreed it would not pursue use of the name, TimeGate dismissed its trademark infringement charges without prejudice, according to a statement released by the studio today. The Section 8 game pits a futuristic armored infantry against a colonial insurrection on Earth, and TimeGate Studios explains that "Section 8" is a nickname referring to volunteers in power armor suits "crazy enough to smash through enemy defenses and drop directly into the battlefield from 15,000 feet." The source of the term is apparently an old U.S. military regulation for reason of mental unfitness for service. Section 8 had been part of Gamecock's publishing slate, but Gamecock acquirer SouthPeak will now publish the game in late 2009 on PC and next-gen console platforms.