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Bethesda comments on Scrolls row

"Nobody here enjoys being forced into this."

Bethesda has publicly discussed its legal row with Minecraft creator Marcus 'Notch' Persson over the Scrolls trademark for the first time.

Speaking with Kotaku today, Bethesda VP Pete Hines attempted to put distance between the creative side of Bethesda and the legal wranglings.

"This is a business matter based on how trademark law works and it will continue to be dealt with by lawyers who understand it, not by me or our developers," he said.

He added that it was not a personal vendetta, and that Bethesda is compelled to protect its trademarks.

"Nobody here enjoys being forced into this. Hopefully it will all be resolved soon."

While Bethesda had refrained from commenting on the dispute until now, Notch has been very vocal, frequently offering updates via his Twitter feed and blog.

He also chimed in for Kotaku's latest report, insisting that his Mojang studio had attempted to reach a resolution with Bethesda on a number of occasions, but without success.

"Our lawyers said [to Bethesda parent company ZeniMax] we didn't agree there was an infringement, but that we'd be willing to find a solution," he explained.

"We offered several different solutions, like us not getting the trademark, and us not using the word 'Scrolls' in its raw form, but as part of a longer title. [ZeniMax] repeatedly refused, demanding we stop using the word 'Scrolls'."

However, Hines added that there is more to the case than Mojang has chosen to discuss, though wouldn't go into specifics.

"Mojang's public comments have not given a complete picture as it relates to their filings, our trademarks, or events that have taken place," he claimed.

As widely reported, Bethesda believes Mojang's as-yet-unreleased Scrolls game infringes its trademark for The Elder Scrolls franchise.