Ty for your answer, even if it is not what I hoped (but not really expected) to hear.
I'm afraid I'll never understand those legal issues as holding the rights for something but not the license to publish it (I'm not trying for someone to explain them to me, it will probably prove futile effort, just complaining about them)
There's 4 kinds of IP:
Copyright - ownership of the literal text.
Trademark - ownership of distinctive terms and symbols
Patent - ownership of specific processes and/or designs of devices
Trade Secret - a secret formula, ratio, or process, usually for making something else.
Trade secret isn't widely protected, but where it is, it is registered in sealed envelopes, and when sued over, those envelopes are opened in closed court session, and the judge gets to compare.
Colin owns the copyright on 2320 now that it's lapsed from QLI.
2320 makes use of a LOT of trademarks of Far Future Enterprises, which Marc Miller owns. (Actually, Marc owns the trademarks, and does business as FFE, but that's a quibble either way.)
The only way Colin gets to publish 2320 is with Marc's permission, and the only way Marc gets to publish it is with Colin's Permission.
Which said, Colin might want to discuss with Marc letting Marc add it to the FFE catalogue...