Hazelight Studios, the makers of video games like Brothers: A Story of Two Sons, and A Manner Out has been coping with a trademark dispute filed by recreation writer Take-Two over the identify of this yr’s co-op hit It Takes Two.
The trademark dispute has been uncovered by the parents at Eurogamer, who additionally discovered that Take-Two has been swinging the dispute bat at quite a few media makers naming their merchandise after phrases which can be near Take-Two’s emblems. Hazelight Studios has apparently opted to desert the trademark for its personal recreation somewhat than go toe-to-toe with Take-Two.
Hazelight instructed Eurogamer in an announcement that it’s “hoping [the dispute] can be resolved.”
Eurogamer’s prying into Take-Two’s trademark bonanza has revealed the writer is swinging at anybody attempting to trademark names that embrace phrases like “rockstar” “social membership” “civilization” and “mafia.”
These embrace a Beijing-based firm’s trademark of “Starrocks,” tattoo parlours and eating places attempting to make use of “rockstar” of their names, a reside efficiency business e-book known as “Assume Like A Rockstar,” and a Florida axe-throwing enterprise known as “Rockstar Axe Throwing.”
Trademark regulation is a messy affair partly constructed on the notion that trademark homeowners have to be actively defending their desired emblems. Given Take-Two’s authorized assets, the corporate in all probability views it as being much less of a legal responsibility to overcorrect on trademark protection than undercorrect, significantly the place different online game manufacturers are involved.
Whereas it is irritating to see a billion-dollar writer choose on a a lot smaller firm, stated smaller firm did publish their recreation with EA. It is a nearer overlap than Rockstar Axe Throwing, that is for certain.
Nonetheless, with “Take-Two” being an organization identify, and “It Takes Two” being a recreation identify from a a lot smaller studio, it does really feel like Take-Two is utilizing its monetary and authorized assets to take an unfair swing at competitors.