Zynga Thinks You Might Confuse Having Casual Sex With Playing A Scrabble Knockoff, Because It's 'With Friends'

from the trademark-with-friends dept

Thu, Aug 1st 2013 2:57pm — Timothy Geigner

You may recall that Zynga was once a company that made social media games, occasionally by taking games other people had made and repackaging them. You likely also remember them for their Words With Friends app that briefly reminded everyone why they hated Scrabble. Well, things haven't been going so well for the company since its IPO, with share prices falling roughly seventy percent. And now, as we have seen in the past, the relatively aged internet company has decided to go the lawsuit route instead of competing in its own marketplace.

And thank the maker for that, because that's how I get to report to you that Zynga is suing Bang With Friends, the app that lets you bang (BANG!) your social media contacts.

The company “selected the name ‘Bang With Friends’ for its casual sex matchmaking app with Zynga’s game trademarks fully in mind,” according to the complaint. The name infringes a trademark covering games such as “Words With Friends” and “Chess With Friends,” according to the filing.

Zynga seeks a court order barring the company from using the name “Bang With Friends” in connection with any social-networking applications in the U.S. and unspecified damages.

See, while there was once a time when Zynga's games spread across everyone's Facebook pages much like a sexually transmitted disease, it's kind of hard to imagine most people thinking Zynga wanted you to bump uglies with that one girl you passed a couple times in your high school hallway. But even if you want to make the argument of brand confusion, it's somewhat ridiculous for a company that played fast and loose with intellectual property in the past to now be using it as a weapon to get monetary damages.

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Filed Under: bang with friends, branding, trademark, with friends, words with friends
Companies: zynga

16 Comments

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Hephaestus (profile), 1 Aug 2013 @ 3:13pm

Confusing Farmville with having sex, I mean who doesn't do that all the time.

/s
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- CK20XX, 1 Aug 2013 @ 3:18pm
  
  Re:
  It really shows how Zynga's business AND mind is in the gutter.
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- ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 1 Aug 2013 @ 3:23pm
  
  Re:
  Confusing Farmville with having sex, I mean who doesn't do that all the time.
  
  Well, both are easier if you opt to pay.
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- PopeRatzo (profile), 1 Aug 2013 @ 4:29pm
  
  Re:
  At my age, they're approximately the same. Too much work for too little reward.
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- Pseudonym, 1 Aug 2013 @ 6:37pm
  
  Re:
  Farmville With Benefits
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- Ninja (profile), 2 Aug 2013 @ 3:50am
  
  Re:
  I think if Google wasn't that filtered it would tell you:
  
  Did you mean bestiality?
  
  Now where are all the goatse jokes?
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2013 @ 3:40pm

Great job! Wrap it up people and by this time next year we'll be rid of the filth known as Zynga.
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Skeptical Cynic (profile), 1 Aug 2013 @ 4:03pm

Zynga gives new meaning to the Laffer Curve...
(Or Laughter Curve)

And relates it to the the new Internet age.

Just Kidding!
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- Dreddsnik, 1 Aug 2013 @ 5:13pm
  
  Re: Zynga gives new meaning to the Laffer Curve...
  As someone who played 'Leisure Suit Larry' back in the day your original reference is hilariously appropriate. ( was that intentional ).
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  - Skeptical Cynic (profile), 1 Aug 2013 @ 5:16pm
    
    Re: Re: Zynga gives new meaning to the Laffer Curve...
    Wow, and Wow again. Someone got it!!!
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    - Hephaestus (profile), 1 Aug 2013 @ 6:42pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Zynga gives new meaning to the Laffer Curve...
      Are you talking that horrible 5 1/4 floppy based game?
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      - Dreddsnik, 2 Aug 2013 @ 6:57am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Zynga gives new meaning to the Laffer Curve...
        " Are you talking that horrible 5 1/4 floppy based game? "
        
        I played it on 3.5 inch floppies on a dual floppy Tandy 1000 ( no hard drive ). For 1987, it was THE SH**. Sierra was the top of the gaming heap. :)
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McCrea (profile), 1 Aug 2013 @ 4:20pm

Zyngaphilia
Well, you know the saying: Ruby Blast in the front; Zynga Poker in the rear.
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Anonymous, 1 Aug 2013 @ 4:52pm

Bang + Zynga = BAZYNGA!
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Ninja (profile), 2 Aug 2013 @ 3:51am

They are just mad that nobody wanted to bang with them =/
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John Fenderson (profile), 2 Aug 2013 @ 10:39am

Seems in character
Zynga is a scumbag company. This type of thing is unsurprising from them.
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