Makers of Robotron 2084 accuse family cookie factory of copyright infringement

Several wise predictions and a sparkling 10-4 record in Week 13 lifted Trevor from fifth place to third place in the 2006 Sunday Football Picks, but his accomplishment was overshadowed by a possible lawsuit against Picks Central headquarters.

Chicago-based game manufacturer Midway Games has threatened legal action if the Picks family doesn't stop publicizing the insane number of cookies it created during a two-day baking boom at its high-tech kitchen.  Using six racks of a double convection oven and a stockpile of new baking equipment, the team of girls produced a family-record 2,084 goodies last weekend.  However, that mind-boggling number happens to be the property of Midway Games, which owns all copyrights and trademarks associated with Robotron 2084, a former arcade game that is played today on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade.

"If the kids would have baked 2,083 cookies or 2,085 cookies, they wouldn't be in such deep trouble," said a Midway spokesman.  "You just don't mess with a company's copyright.  We own 2084.  We suggest they go back and whip up another batch of snickerdoodles or jam thumbprints unless they want to answer to a judge."

Midway Games has been making arcade and console games since the late 1970s.  They own the rights to all video games developed by Williams Electronics, which released Robotron 2084 in 1982.  In its complaint filed in federal court, Midway wants to confiscate all goodies baked at Picks Central headquarters if the family does not cease its use of the copyrighted number when telling stories to friends and relatives.

"That truckload of tasty treats would be a major boost to our holiday party," the Midway spokesman said.  "I heard there are more than 200 peanut butter blossoms that have a Hershey's Kiss in the middle.  Those would go over huge!"

The possible lawsuit has ruffled the feathers of QT Pie, who was the master baker extraordinaire in charge of the weekend cookie machine.  Midway's suggestion of baking even more goodies to change the total of 2,084 isn't sitting well with the feisty baker.

"My lower back is killing me after standing and bending for two days, so the holiday cookie factory is not about to reopen," QT said.  "None of these cookies is leaving the house unless I approve, so don't tempt me to pummel you with my extra sticks of butter and cans of cherry pie filling because I'll do it!"

It is unclear how Midway Games discovered the alleged copyright infringement so quickly.  The family was threatened with a lawsuit less than 24 hours after the Picks Central webmaster posted the final baking tally online.  The family believes the tattletale is an overly curious woman who often visits the Picks website from her Bartlett home, and has personal connections to Midway Games.  Her husband was a four-year employee of Midway before launching his own gaming business a month ago.

"We know who it is, and she can't hide," QT said.  "We won't get mad, but we'll certainly get even.  Maybe she'll mysteriously get a flat tire during next year's Treasure Hunt, or Big Blue will have its hood crushed by a falling 25-pound bag of flour.  The possibilities of revenge are endless."

The controversial outcome of the family's cookie factory does not diminish the tremendous baking skills and unwavering dedication to excellence that was exhibited by QT, D.J., Nicki and Ali during an estimated 21 hours of work in the kitchen.  Not a single cookie was burned!  From largest to smallest, the 13 varieties included 323 Nestle Toll House cookies, 231 peanut butter blossoms, 189 pieces of fudge, 176 iced oatmeal cookies, 156 fudgy brownies, 148 sugar cookies, 146 lemon pistachio biscottis, 133 butterscotch drops, 130 chocolate nut toppers, 124 pieces of oatmeal candy, 116 jam thumbprints, 116 snickerdoodles and 96 fruit-filled oatmeal bars.

Of course to make that many cookies, the girls needed to go hog wild when shopping for ingredients.  The estimated quantities used in the massive assembly line production were 21½ pounds of flour, 15 pounds of sugar, 11 pounds of Nestle semi-sweet chocolate morsels, 10½ pounds of butter, 7½ pounds of brown sugar, 4 pounds of cherry pie filling, 4 pounds of oatmeal, 4 pounds of creamy peanut butter, 3½ pounds of powdered sugar, 3½ pounds of shelled walnuts, 3 pounds of Nestle butterscotch morsels, 2 pounds of pistachio kernels, an 18-ounce box of Corn Flakes, 12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate squares, 56 ounces of sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups of Crisco sticks, 231 Hershey's Kisses, 52 large eggs, and hundreds of teaspoons of this and tablespoons of that.

The odds were astonishing of that heap of ingredients totaling exactly 2,084 goodies to challenge the Robotron copyright, but hopefully a resolution can soon be reached.