King Backs Off Ridiculously Broad 'Candy' Trademark, Will Still Be Obnoxious In Other Ways
from the King-Kong dept
King, makers of the very successful Candy Crush Saga mobile game, have been nothing if not creative in their attempt to bully other companies using absurdly broad trademark claims. Unsatisfied with simply enjoying their luck and fortune at creating an entirely derivative yet somehow hugely successful game, the company felt compelled to apply for a trademark for the word "candy." That unsurprisingly resulted in an ocean of criticism in the press, and even a little playful retribution -- including developers making a game in which players have to create a game with the word candy in it.King is now filing to abandon their trademark on the word candy. That's not because they were willing to admit any fault on their part, but because the company will instead focus on an older, more specific trademark for "candy crush" in an attempt to wreak havoc. The company only just acquired that 2004 trademark in the last few months, and has already used it to try shut down a game called CandySwipe that came out two years before Candy Crush Saga. CandySwipe is still available in the Google Play store, and it has been flooded with five star reviews by people tired of King's shenanigans.
King released a statement to the press describing their decision as such:
"King has withdrawn its trademark application for Candy in the U.S., which we applied for in February 2013 before we acquired the early rights to Candy Crusher. Each market that King operates in is different with regard to IP. We feel that having the rights to Candy Crusher is the best option for protecting Candy Crush in the U.S. market. This does not affect our E.U. trademark for Candy and we continue to take all appropriate steps to protect our IP."In addition to using their candy crush trademark and continuing their defense of candy in Europe, King will also continue their campaign to stop Stoic, makers of the strategy-RPG The Banner Saga, from using the word saga. You know, because of potential confusion, not because King is being an obnoxious tyrant.
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Filed Under: candy crush saga, trademark
Companies: king
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which NORSE saga?
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Yet somehow they weren't infringing the earlier trademark?
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Anybody have an electromagnetic pulse weapon I can borrow?
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(Including a few developers they'd previously tried to buy-out but got turned down).
By going after each specific developer individually on "different grounds", if one case gets knocked out, the others can proceed regardless.
The end-plan is to "make developers an offer they can't refuse" where King gets them to either get absorbed by their company OR sell their current portfolio to King.
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Monarchs around the world unite!
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Thanks for reminding me
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Saga board game published in 1980
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