EA And Ubisoft Fight Over "Ghost" Trademark

[Fox12]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/166171-EA-Wants-PC-Gamers-to-Trust-it-Again

You lasted 3 days EA, 3 days.

Let's be fair: How many of us actually expected them to make it past Day 2?

I don't usually last much longer then that for my new years resolutions : /

 

[marioandsonic]

This is just like in Arkham City, where all the major Batman villains engaged in gang war trying to kill each other.

Now we just need Activision and Konami to enter the mix for the ultimate battle royale!

 

[Bobular]

I am going to trademark the letter 'E'. All you guys who just used it will be in serious trouble when my lawyers are done with you!

And I may go for 'G' as well, just to stop both EA And Ubisoft from using 'Ghost', they'll be stuck with 'Host'!

Mu ha ha ha!

 

[Bedinsis]

I recall that a few weeks ago EA had trouble getting 'Unravel' (as in, their upcoming game Unravel) protected. Seriously, what are the guys over there doing?

 

[Bindal]

Well, to be fair, if they only copyright it for naming game-studios, EA would have all rights to do so as they copyright "Ghost" as a name, not the word in general.

If they go in general, THEN it's where they screw up.

 

[dangoball]

Come on, EA. I really want to like you again. I'd be happy to be able to trust you, but for that to happen you can't be pulling shit like this. Look, I get that you're a business. I respect that. I'd even by some of your stock if I were into that kinda thing. But can't you try to at least be smart business? Or a business with a so called "human face"? Heck, even if you put on a mask sewn together from scraps of studios you axed and it's right at the bottom of the uncanny valley it would be an improvement over this cold number-crunching exterior you show. That's not how you make friends, EA.

 

[Aerosteam]

I have to wonder, what started this? I mean, trademarks I get, but who started this whole trademarking common words thing? And how high are these CEOs that they think they would actually get away with this shit? I mean one day we'll live in a world with no words, because companies have bought all the rights to those words.

Some asshat called Tim Langdell (the CEO of Edge Games, founded in 1990) and the word "edge". Here's a brief history with him and trademark bullshit on Wikipedia, going all the way to 2014. The first instance though I think is in 2001 when Namco tried to get the name "Soul Edge" but had to use "Soul Blade" instead (at least in the UK).

 

[xaszatm]

Didn't EA's CEO literally say "We aren't trying to be greedy" a while back? Because if they aren't, then it must come naturally for these people.

 

[Karadalis]

Can we please stop trying to copyright everyday words? What's next? Nintendo copyright's the word "party" because of its mario party franchise?

The FineBros (youtubers who popularized reaction videos on youtube) recently tried to trademark the word "React" as well. This shit's getting out of hand.

And they are bleeding subscribers like crazy as a result.

But then again we have sony trying to copyright the term "lets play" too...

It seems to me that lately alot of people think they can use copyright and trademark law as a way to control other people.

Anyone remember the whole "scrolls" copyright kerfluffle with bethesda?

 

[Lightspeaker]

Never thought I'd see the day that UBISOFT could be an hero in a story.

Pretty amazing stuff.

It's like the whole Donald Trump vs Fox News/Megan Kelly.

It's not that Fox News/Megan Kelly are actually any GOOD, it's that Donald Trump is just WORSE.

*slowclap*

I'm very much reminded of that Venn diagram that came out recently as advertising for the new Deadpool movie. One side being "Douchebags" and the other being "Heroes" and Deadpool himself being in the middle where the two overlap.

Also, on a bit of a tangent here, looking it up just now I realised that the two circles of the diagram appear to be designed to look like boobs.

 

[Auberon]

So when Mankind Divided comes out, are all of you going to phantom/spectre/poltergeist/spirit through it because "ghosting" is clearly verbalized form of ghost and thus using it can get you fined, sued and locked up in solitary?

 

[K12]

And in other news EA have trademarked the words "Electronic" and "Arts" and are consequently suing every author, painter, sculptor, musician, actor, graphic designer, director, author, engineer, programmer, computer scientist, physicist, technician in the world to the overall sum of 90 quintillion dollars.

A Spokesman from EA issued a statement saying "this is a new exciting opportunity for players. We are innovating more than ever to provide new and better games with a broader appeal". When asked to actually say something relevant the spokesmen said that the answer to that question was available as DLC, he then began rubbing lubricant onto the large metal pole wrapped in barbed wire that he happened to be carrying with him.

 

[SmugFrog]

Can we please stop trying to copyright everyday words?

YES! Ghost Gaming or Ghost Studios makes a lot more sense than just "Ghost". WTF. Can't say Ghost in a game now, or even on the forum because EA.

Why not just bloody copywrite the entire dictionary while you're at it? Sell us off packs of words to use to start with, with additional adjectives and nouns as DLC.

I'm sure they would if they could. The only thing better for some of these companies making money via product is having the money to throw lawsuits around at people that use an idea you claim ownership of.

I am going to trademark the letter 'E'. All you guys who just used it will be in serious trouble when my lawyers are done with you!

Wll that just mad things a littl bit mor difficult. You'r not hlping hr.

So I've always wondered at what point will all of the titles be used for movies, music, games, etc - if I make a game in the future will I have to name it some obscure combination of letters and numbers akin to an Xbaux Live gamertag?

I can't write Xbox cause... trademark, right?

 

[Mutant1988]

They haven't trademarked the word. Only it being used for a specific game or service.

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4810:y0puy5.2.4
Serial Number: 86568854

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4810:y0puy5.2.5
Serial Number: 86568852

Ubisoft is actually the one in the wrong here, for their ridiculous claim that the trademark causes confusion with their Ghost Recon property.

This is not comparable to the Fine Bros fiasco and them trying to appropriate the word react in the context of ANY video.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

They haven't trademarked the word. Only it being used for a specific game or service.

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4810:y0puy5.2.4
Serial Number: 86568854

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4810:y0puy5.2.5
Serial Number: 86568852

Ubisoft is actually the one in the wrong here, for their ridiculous claim that the trademark causes confusion with their Ghost Recon property.

This is not comparable to the Fine Bros fiasco and them trying to appropriate the word react in the context of ANY video.

First off, thanks for backing up your statements with sources. Secondly...doesn't Ubisoft have the rights to the "Ghost Recon" video games, and wouldn't that conflict with the first trademark if they were to actually use it now? I think that's where the issue is coming from.

 

[Mutant1988]

They haven't trademarked the word. Only it being used for a specific game or service.

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4810:y0puy5.2.4
Serial Number: 86568854

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4810:y0puy5.2.5
Serial Number: 86568852

Ubisoft is actually the one in the wrong here, for their ridiculous claim that the trademark causes confusion with their Ghost Recon property.

This is not comparable to the Fine Bros fiasco and them trying to appropriate the word react in the context of ANY video.

First off, thanks for backing up your statements with sources. Secondly...doesn't Ubisoft have the rights to the "Ghost Recon" video games, and wouldn't that conflict with the first trademark if they were to actually use it now? I think that's where the issue is coming from.

Only if it's determined that the trademarks are too similar. Which they really aren't (My opinion).

Ghost Recon =/= Ghost. There's a whole one word difference. All that's left now is for paid by commission lawyers to argue about whether it is or isn't too similar.

But keep in mind, this only applies to digital entertainment products/services (Which I assume the Ghost Studio falls under). Neither company has any claim to the word Ghost in any other context.

 

[Briggins]

Only if it's determined that the trademarks are too similar. Which they really aren't (My opinion).

Ghost Recon =/= Ghost. There's a whole one word difference. All that's left now is for paid by commission lawyers to argue about whether it is or isn't too similar.

But keep in mind, this only applies to digital entertainment products/services (Which I assume the Ghost Studio falls under). Neither company has any claim to the word Ghost in any other context.

While you technically may be right, I have no doubt that if EA gets this trademark they'll abuse it. They may not be able to do much to the larger companies, but it will be the death knell of any indie developers who want to use the word ghost.