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NERO® Alliance LARP, NERO® LARP, NERO® Rule Book

Welcome to NERO® LARP - Home of the New England Role Playing Organization!

Go Here TO LEARN ABOUT NERO LARP Games.

We are the premier Live Action Role Play (LARP) organization in North America - Since 1989.

NERO International Holding Co., Inc. is the only Licensor of the NERO® Trademark, NERO® Rule Book, the NERO® Logo, and/or any content related to the Tyrran World.

PRELUDE: Michael Ventrella maintains a website with false and derogatory statements about NERO International and Joseph Valenti as well as false claims of ownership of NERO Intellectual Properrty.

After years of remaining silent in the public, this website was developed to respond to the false statements and spread the truth.

Michael Ventrella sent a BREAK-AWAY document to every NERO Chapter, with this LEGAL ISSUES page.

NERO International and Joseph Valenti were sued in January 2006, frivolously, by a Mr. Michael Ventrella, and his business called 'the nero alliance', over ownership of the NERO Trademark, Rules, IP, and Game System.

Michael Ventrella and the 'nero alliance' were not victorious - the lawsuit terminated on February 20, 2007.

Read the LARPA mailing list letter about NERO LARP and nero alliance lawsuit made by from Joseph Valenti.

On July 11, 2007, Michael Ventrella announced that he and the group known as the 'nero alliance' will be changing their name and will no longer using the NERO name. A copy of the letter is here; the new group is called alliance larp.

09-18-2007 - Read the statement made by Michael Ventrella of the alliance larp, and the response made by Joseph Valenti of NERO LARP.

A Brief Overview

In early 1997, Michael Ventrella breached an agreement he had with Ford Ivey (The Owner of NERO® in 1997) and was unable to negotiate a resolution. In February of 1998, Michael Ventrella departed the New England Roleplaying Organization, also known as NERO and NERO LARP in the Live Action Role Play (LARP) market, among game store owners, game convention runners, and vendors at game conventions and trade shows throughout North America. There were at least 2 other groups that left NERO in the past. However, unlike all of the others who left who changed their business name and name of their Rule Book, Mr. Ventrella, without proper authority or rights to do so, began licensing 'nero alliance' chapters. This included the use of the NERO® word mark, the NERO® Logo, and the NERO® Rule Book©.

Ford Ivey informed Mr. Ventrella that he could not license the NERO name, trademark or rules to anyone else - it simply is not in the agreement that he may license the use to others. Mr. Ventrella would not meet in Mediation or Arbitration through Alternate Dispute Resolution processes to resolve exactly what his rights were/are.

Joseph Valenti steadfastly protected the NERO intellectual property, and, in good faith, contacted each of the people who were improperly licensed by Michael Ventrella, explained that they were not properly licensed with NERO International and that could seek solid legal advice at http://prepaidlegal.com - an unbiased company that has no relation to NERO or Joseph Valenti.

Additionally, Joseph made contact with all business associations and facilities that were used by these infringing un-authorized groups, and politely requested that they no longer rent or 'generate money using the NERO trademark while it is being infringed upon'.

After several years of successfully protecting the NERO intellectual property, Mr. Ventrella submitted a lawsuit to the federal courts of PA alleging that Joseph Valenti and NERO International were violating his NERO Copyright and Trademark, and were harassing his 'nero alliance chapters'. He also demanded that Joseph Valenti recognize he and his wife as a 'Founder of NERO' and that he receive proper authorship for written works contributed by he and his wife in all publications.

The record was set straight during mandatory mediation session. The result of the mediation was that Michael Ventrella was told that Joseph Valenti, owner of NERO International Holding co., Inc., owned NERO, that Mr. Ventrella could not license the NERO name, logo, or rules to anyone - they that had to license with Joseph, and that he needed to be licensed with Joseph to run NERO too. We (NERO International/Joseph Valenti) gave Mr. Ventrella the same options we gave him in previous years - join NERO or change your business name and rule book name away from NERO.

1) Ford Ivey owned NERO and sold it to Joseph Valenti.
2) Ford Ivey wrote the first set of NERO Rules and is/was the owner.
3) Michael Ventrella was an invited guest to the first game run using the NERO Rules.
4) Editors have no rights of ownership on works they edit.
5) Mr. Ventrella was compensated for his contributions, in one way, with the right to run NERO in one location, royalty free.
6) There is no agreement which states that Mr. Ventrella (or his wife) must be recognized as Founders of NERO.
7) There is no agreement which states that Mr. Ventrella (or his wife) must be recognized as an Author of NERO.
8) Joseph Valenti has the right to contact those individuals who are infringing upon his intellectual property in good faith of finding a resolution and in assertion of .

In mediation, Mr. Ventrella chose to join NERO, and for his chapters to join NERO, and become properly licensed.

In December of 2006, it became apparent to us that Mr. Ventrella had no intention of following through with his agreements made at mediation. Conversation over the last 2 months had been sporadic and we got a letter that said Mr. Ventrella decided to change his name away from NERO.

In February of 2007, Mr. Ventrella and his legal counsel had all but stopped conversing with NERO's legal counsel. Eventually, it became necessary for Joseph Valenti to announce in March 2007 that Mr. Ventrella lost the lawsuit (since NERO International was still in operation, was still using the NERO Rule Book, and that MR. Ventrella and 'the nero alliance' would soon be changing their name away from NERO.

On July 11, 2007, Michael Ventrella announced that he and the group known as the 'nero alliance' will be changing their name and will no longer using the NERO name. A copy of the letter is here;