The Dille family is battling over trademark simply because they can.

Trademark isn't registered but what's more imporant in this issue is copyright. In this particular case, Buck Rogers shouldn't be considered public domain until a judge says so.

Anyways the tl;dr version is as long as Buck Rogers is in this legal battle it won't be coming here.

Despite them knowing that they don't have the copyright anymore, yes it would need a judge, because I don't think that the government/public prosecutor would go after them. Theoretical they could (breach of state contracts/copyright infringement by themselves), but I do not see this happening.

And yes, out of this, you might be right. And we as the consumers, nothing what we can really do about it. (only boycotting anything they sell.....yeah great......haven't seen anything in Europe anyway for a long time).

The problem is copyright will only apply to the works, ideas and characters created that many years ago. The Buck Rogers game was created much more recently and presumably with permission, thus would still be considered under copyright for it's own contents and the family would have to sign off on it until that copyright expires when we are all probably dead.

There was a similar issue with Sherlock Holmes. The earliest works are now free from Copyright, but if one uses details from later works, they would be a violation.

In other words, the original Buck Rogers material has had it's copyright expire due to time, but later adapted works which were authorized still would be responsible for future royalties until their 75 years or whatever has expired.

GoG could arguably make a new Buck Rogers game using the material whose copyright has expired, but the SSI games would not have had their copyright expire yet.

You missed a bit the point, the other SSI games came to GOG (Champions of Krynn and so on) and that was why I asked for, what is the magic number for Buck Rogers to come here as well, being unaware of the Buck Rogers dilemma) ;)

I originally just wanted to bring attention to those good old games as well (and their wishlist ;) )

I didn't miss the point. There is no magic number because the game can't come here without resolving copyright issues. Given how litigious those owners are, it doesn't look likely they are willing to cut a reasonable deal while pissed off over their cash-cow copyright expiring.

Some licensed games do get here. The Krynn games are a good example, but it requires the copyright holders to be willing to negotiate at a reasonable price or a past contract in which they gave up the right to the game content. For the record, I'm pretty sure Dragonlance is not owned by Wizards although Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (who I believe do own the property) seem to maintain an amicable working relationship with them.

And for the record, the main reason they cannot Trademark Buck Rogers is that the original works have become public domain. Just as one cannot Trademark Sherlock Holmes as a fair portion of that material has entered the public domain. What this doesn't mean is anything with the Buck Rogers name has had its copyright expire. Each item has it's own clock and a re-imagining of the character will have its clock start at the time of it's creation. In other words, just because the first book in a series has reached 75 years (or whatever it is now), doesn't make every book written later is public domain. Each has to wait it's own 75 years. And these games were created far more recently than that...