Langdell Still Claims Control Over The Word Edge; Sues EA For Mirror's Edge

from the step-away-from-the-edge dept

We've covered Tim Langdell and his ridiculous trademark claims for years. He's the guy who got a trademark on the word "edge" for a video game fifteen or so years ago, and now seems to spend all of his time threatening and/or suing any game or app maker who puts the word "edge" in the title, even though there's no likelihood of confusion, and Langdell's own failure to actually release a game in many years raises questions about how valid the mark is. EA, who had been threatened by Langdell for its Mirror's Edge game asked the USPTO to dump the trademark last year, claiming not only have the marks been abandoned, but that they were obtained via fraudulent means. The PTO is still reviewing that request.

However, Langdell is not sitting still. His lawyers kindly spammed me today with the news that they're suing EA over this trademark. Not surprisingly, they play up Langdell's position, and leave out the abandonment of the trademark, the lack of any likelihood of confusion and other pertinent details along those lines. Trademark law, despite Langdell's apparent belief, does not give a company full control over a word, especially if they're not using it. No one is confusing Mirror's Edge with Langdell's ancient games.
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Filed Under: edge, mirror's edge, tim langdell, trademark, video games
Companies: ea


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  • icon
    Ccomp5950 (profile), 15 Jun 2010 @ 6:03pm

    Jurors should be instructed: "Does this hinder the progress of science and useful arts?"

    If so, fine it's infringement. If not? Quit wasting the courts time and my tax dollars.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 15 Jun 2010 @ 6:54pm

      Re:

      I am so going to do a crappy, suck-ass game called "Edge". The object will to be to get the boss' lawyer to kill him.

      It'll be magic, I promise.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 15 Jun 2010 @ 7:23pm

      Re:

      Repeat after me. Trademark is not the same as Copyright.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    NAMELESS ONE, 15 Jun 2010 @ 6:35pm

    ONE WORD...just a bit over n over

    EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE. EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE. EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Jay (profile), 15 Jun 2010 @ 6:41pm

    Free advertising

    Ya know...

    That article just told us about the fact that the Mirror's Edge was getting a sequel.

    I guess EA is using this to try to boost their sales.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 15 Jun 2010 @ 7:25pm

      Re: Free advertising

      The "article" is a press release. It didn't come from EA.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Jun 2010 @ 7:26pm

    Whoa, suddenly I'm on slashdot.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    AdamR (profile), 15 Jun 2010 @ 7:28pm

    If I make a game called double edge, do i get sued twice? Better yet what about infinite edge or infinity edge...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Trerro, 15 Jun 2010 @ 7:39pm

    Name it Monster's Edge and you can watch this company and Monster Cable trip over each other trying to file frivolous lawsuits.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Jun 2010 @ 8:49pm

    U2

    What about that guy from U2? If I were him I would be pissed!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Jun 2010 @ 9:41pm

    People rail against "trolls" who engage in patent litigation. Quite frankly, in is my view that far, far more problematic are general practice firms that hold themselves out as "IP experts" when, in fact, a much more accurate characterization would in my view be "IP dabblers".

    "Trolls" sometimes bring discredit on the patent system, but "dabblers" exact a much higher price across the board in so many more areas.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jun 2010 @ 3:58am

    Isn't EDGE a cell phone protocol?

    "Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) is a backward-compatible digital mobile phone technology that allows improved data transmission rates..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDGE

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    R. Miles (profile), 16 Jun 2010 @ 6:52am

    First software, next the world.

    Best stock pile my shaving cream while I can.

    Good thing there's not a Monster Bogart Edge product out there. 3 lawsuits would be horrendous to deal with.

    Seriously, it's about time defendants of these cases are given automatic restitution against idiotic claims like this. I feel they should get $250,000 for every item they manufacture.

    That'll teach these plaintiffs.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Jun 2010 @ 7:26am

    LOL @ "kindly spammed"

    Kinda like Tosh's bit about polite Tourette's.

    NICE HAIR!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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