It seems like Ben Hermans does no longer have the position as director at Hyperion.

Link

I can't get my router to access that link, but isn't this old news? I believe he is still the person pulling all the strings and has the final say about anything related to AmigaOS4.x (which is still bad news for the users).

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It was news to me at least.

Decision made 16 dec 2016
Document stamped 30 dec 2016
Document published 12 jan 2017

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I believe this happened for a reason, and I don't think it's too far-fetched to link this to the bankruptcy of Hyperion when Timothy De Groote entered the Hyperion scene, and maybe even to the conflict (I am certain there is one) between Hyperion and the Amiga OS IP owner Cloanto. Would be interesting to scan the public records of courts in Belgium and Italy for law suits between these companies.

[ Edited by takemehomegrandma 23.01.2017 - 07:32 ]

> isn't this old news?

No, that's definitely news.

> I believe he is still the person pulling all the strings

Yes, giving up director position doesn't equal giving up ownership or selling shares. When Hermans gave up Hyperion Entertainment VOF managing partner position in 2003 (to return as Hyperion Entertainment CVBA director in 2009), he remained co-owner/shareholder and took position of legal counsel of Hyperion Entertainment VOF.

> the bankruptcy of Hyperion when Timothy De Groote entered the Hyperion scene

You mean Costel Mincea. Timothy has been with Hyperion since the early days (and in director position since the incorporation of Hyperion Entertainment CVBA in 2009).

http://web.archive.org/web/20030430154931/http://www.hyperion-entertainment.com/_amiga/corporate.html
http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2002-12-00049-EN.html
http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2001-06-00205-EN.html

Official company statement:

"Ben Hermans has resigned as a director of the company to allow him to concentrate on his practice as legal counsel. He remains committed to Hyperion Entertainment and will continue representing its legal interests in the best possible way. Ben of course also remains a shareholder in the Hyperion Entertainment business."
http://www.hyperion-entertainment.com/index.php/news/38-corporate/178-hyperion-management-restructuring

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Yes of course I meant Costel Mincea, thanks!

Addendum:

> Timothy has been with Hyperion since the early days (and in director position since the
> incorporation of Hyperion Entertainment CVBA in 2009).

There's some confirming information directly from the horse's mouth:

"[...] the knowledge that Hyperion VOF was actually a Belgian company [...] led me to first become a betatester, then shareholder, and meanwhile a manager. [...] Hyperion Entertainment CVBA officially has 2 directors and several shareholders."

There're also some statements which conflict with facts:

"we took over development of AmigaOS 4 in 2001 [...]. [...] With the demise of Jim Collas at Gateway Hyperion stepped in to take over development of AmigaOS in order to secure its future."

Jim Collas leaving Gateway was in 1999, not 2001. Many things happened in the 2 years between Collas' departure in September 1999 and Hyperion overtaking OS4 development in October 2001, such as release of OS3.5, sale of Amiga IP from Gateway to Amino / Amiga Inc. Washington, focus shift from AmigaOS to AmigaDE, release of OS3.9, Amiga Inc's own failed OS4 project (with Hyperion responsible for 3D graphics subsystem) etc. I wonder what's Hyperion's agenda pretending these 2 years didn't happen.

"The license to Worms Armageddon [...] would need to be renegotiated after all this time. [...] with the collapse of Gateway, a lot of good intentions died with these plans."

Yet, in April 2000 (i.e. months after Gateway sold Amiga), Hyperion announced an early beta version of Worms Armageddon for Q2/2000. And claiming Gateway collapsed when it sold the Amiga IP to Amino / Amiga Inc. Washington is beyond funny.

Hermans is very clearly still around. Recently, Hyperion forgot to reapply for its trademarks on 'AmigaOS' and the Boing Ball, and they expired.

http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2017-04-00033-EN.html

Before they could recover from this epic fail, Cloanto moved in, presumably to save them from going to IP squatters. IP squatters other than Hyperion.

Mysteriously, the 'Amiga Forever' trademark just got registered by 'Monard Law', the same law company that Hermans works for. Presumably to either gain leverage on Cloanto, or to threaten them directly. That has all the pettiness we've come to know from Ben.

http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2017-05-00039-EN.html

https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#basic/1+1+1+1/50+50+50+50/amiga%20forever

If Ben has used Monard's resources without their permission for this, he's going to end up in prison.

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Workbench with only a capital "W" as well.

all the changes with direct links to events and documents

#6

> Recently, Hyperion forgot to reapply for its trademarks on 'AmigaOS' and the Boing Ball,
> and they expired.
> http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2017-04-00033-EN.html

These were Amiga Inc's trademarks, not Hyperion's. Amiga Inc. merely allowed Hyperion to use these marks. It's Amiga Inc. who let these marks expire.
The relevant passage from your link:

"Hyperion [...] applied for AmigaOS, BoingBall and AmigaOne. These trademarks, which had not or no longer been registered before, were originally licensed to Hyperion in the 2009 settlement agreement with Amiga, Inc. - apparently Hyperion's management operates under the assumption that Amiga, Inc. will be unable or uninterested in defending these marks [...]."

> Cloanto moved in, presumably to save them from going to IP squatters.

;-)

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Yes, as Andreas stated above, they were Amiga Inc.'s trademarks, not Hyperion's, and it was the negligence, and/or incompetence, of Amiga Inc. and Hyperion's lack of staying on top of what is happening with their licensed trademarks. Only Colanto seems to be paying close attention to such matters, and immediately acting, when others fall asleep at the wheel.

Does anyone here really think that anything has changed with regards to who has the final say regarding anything to do with AmigaOS development? No matter what documents get filed and recorded with government offices, I am sure that Ben Hermans still has tight control over the future of AmigaOS4.x, which is unfortunately bad news for all AmigaOS4.x users. For MorphOS users, it makes little, or no difference, who is making decisions about AmigaOS4.x development, or who is in control of the old Amiga trademarks, which makes this whole thread sort of pointless and uninteresting for typical MorphOS users, but I guess some people get entertainment value from keeping informed about what certain people/companies do, or don't do.

> Mysteriously, the 'Amiga Forever' trademark just got registered by 'Monard Law',
> the same law company that Hermans works for. [...] If Ben has used Monard's
> resources without their permission for this, he's going to end up in prison.

Not quite prison:

https://twitter.com/amigadocuments/status/1139772932752732160

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Who knows - maybe being fired is just the start.

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Step 1:
She works at Monard Law

Step 2:
She forms new firm
And:
Interview

Step 3:
Linkedin connection

So Ben follows her to Artes and this equates to him being fired? Please explain...

#6

(added embedded links)

> So Ben follows her to Artes and this equates to him being fired? Please explain...

I didn't claim anyone being fired but just reported that someone else made this claim, so you may want to redirect your request for explanation :-) And thanks for the links. Appreciated.

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My apologies. I didn't mean to direct it at you, but at the link. heh.

I have yet to see anything remotely confirming that posting btw. Quite the contrary.

#6

> I didn't mean to direct it at you, but at the link.

Seems this "Patrick Buchholz" guy tried to hoax us, or got hoaxed himself.

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The letter might be legitimate, but the conclusion "So now they fired him!!!" is a far cry from a claim of same from anyone at Monard Law or anyone "in the know". To base this on web page updates is naive.
We can neither say there was or was not friction between Ben and Monard Law, imo.

#6

I found the claim that someone had "informed" Monard Law as to Ben's activities silly anyway, given that one of his colleagues from Mondard had already been involved in the case.

It's very probable Ben fell out of favour with Monard due to not dedicating enough time to them, and decided to move on. If "fired", then not the kind of firing that stops him getting another job, or a reference.

(And to be honest I can't see a law firm doing that anyway. Reputation for them is extremely valuable, so they either get rid of a wayward employee quietly, or throw the book at them in the most public way possible to show everyone they're purging their ranks.)

No scandal here. AD's been duped.

> The letter might be legitimate

Well, it's "the letter" that claims twice that he was fired.

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That simply means (to me) that this could be a legitimate letter...actually sent...actually reported by Amiga Documents. I did not mean to convey "truth" in content.

#6

> That simply means (to me) that this could be a legitimate letter
> ...actually sent...actually reported by Amiga Documents.

You are right of course. Misunderstanding on my side. I also deem it unlikely that the Amiga Documents author invented the letter. He could have done fact checking as you did, prior to (or rather instead of) posting, and discarded his source as unreliable.

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I don't have any social media accounts. Can you see/tell if Ben lists Monard Law as previous experience?
Thanks.

#6

> Can you see/tell if Ben lists Monard Law as previous experience?

No, but in your LinkedIn link in comment #15 he lists ARTES as current employer but gives Monard URL.