Contrary to previous post SOE does not hold the trademark to EQ. They only hold the trademark to Everquest. This can be confirmed at http://www.uspto.gov/web/menu/tm.html TESS is the Trademark Electronic Search System. All enforceable trademarks in the US are registered here. Doing a search of EQ will return a number of companies that own Trademarks containing only the letters EQ and in that order. However, if you do a search on 'everquest'you will find some interesting results.
You can also register for trademarks at the above site. Which I feel Muse and Allakhazam should do to protect there interest.
That being said, in no way would I buy a guide from SOE. SOE's publications have been consentily lacking in content. IMO EQAtlas and Allakhazam are the best sources for Everquest maps and information (though a few maps of the planes would be nice). While it is within there right to print anything they want, I wish SOE would utilize the Everquest culture developed by the players when creating items like this.
As far as using the popularity of EQAtlas as a springboard for sales, I don't think the SOE boys are THAT unscrupulous. But you never know. If SOE were smart they would commission Muse, Allakhazam, eqtraders and others to compile an Everquest compendium. Complete with development milestones (provided by SOE), backgrounds, NPC's, quests, mobs, trade skills etc. Rather then slap a bunch of documents together to make a quick buck.
Until then my agnostic Half-Elf Ranger will be working on his cultural plate armor.
Edited, Wed Aug 21 15:04:45 2002
Don't confuse the new Atlas Book with EQ Atlas
Just copying over what I posted on the update page so you can comment:
Muse sent me this note to post for you: "SOE recently began promoting their new book, the Everquest Atlas, and some of you have expressed to me some confusion regarding this. Despite the similarity between the name of this product and their use of "EQ Atlas" to advertise it on the Everquest Live site, the product is not related in any way to my site, EQ Atlas (www.eqatlas.com). While we both offer maps and descriptions, the specific content is quite different. I hope that this announcement will clear up any confusion."
I'll go a bit further.
/rant on. It seems pretty rotten of them to be using the good will he built up over the past three years to sell their book in a way that would clearly confuse players into thinking Muse is involved with it. Muse is a friend, so I may be prejudiced on this one, and yeah it is Sony's game, but I can easily think of a dozen names they could have picked that would have been just as good and wouldn't have suggested a connection with his site. The only logical conclusion to draw is that they are hoping people will go "Cool. EQ Atlas has a book" and buy it based upon that. Shameful, really. Moreover, having looked at the example pdf file SOE lists and compared it to the information on Muse's site, I'm not sure why anyone would buy that book when EQ Atlas offers far superior maps and information for free, and has been serving the community for years. Yeah they're pretty, but who wants a map without locs and camp information? /rant off.