Bethesda and Interplay both claim to own the Fallout franchise plus the rights to produce the next MMO video game.
Interplay claim that when they sold the intellectual property rights to the fallout franchise they had the rights to continue making the games. Apparently not say Bethesda...
Following Hines' claims, Caen stated that it could potentially block Bethesda's ongoing use of the IP were it prevented from releasing the MMO.
"We sold the Fallout IP to Bethesda in exchange for a certain amount of cash and the right to do the Fallout MMO," he said.
"If they refuse to let us do the game, then the sale of the IP is terminated, and they will be allowed to do only one more Fallout, 5.
"The original licensing deal was for three games and their DLC. So they already did Fallout 3, then Fallout: New Vegas, and they can only do one more Fallout, 5, if the sale of the IP is canceled by the court."
Interplay's Fallout MMO is scheduled for a 2012 release.