Palladium Books weathered a “crisis of treachery” in 2006 – 2008, following embezzlement by a former Sales Manager, through the generosity of its loyal fans. And Palladium Books is reported to be aggressive in its pursuit to control of IP, and is run with highly centralized management control by Kevin Siembieda, to the annoyance of some fans and commissioned writers.

So when PB finds itself in the middle of a crisis, battle lines are drawn.

In the latest crisis, PB is suing Trion Worlds for trademark dilution. PB has been using the brand “Rifts” for a successful multi-verse RPG game for dozens of years, where “rifts” refer to other universes breaking into the current one, leading to various adventures. Trion Worlds has created the bones of a new MMORPG called Rift: Planes of Telara, where “rift” refers to other universes breaking into the current one, leading to various adventures.

Kevin writes about the battle it faces to win its trademark suit, citing the deep pockets of its opponent. And he’s not kidding: Trion Worlds’ investors include Time Warner, NBC Universal, Bertelsmann, Rustic Canyon Partners, Trinity Ventures, and DCM, with HP as a strategic partner. As source reports, PB has not succeeded in getting the suit over and done with quickly, which does not bode well. (source)