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Ubisoft's Watch Dogs trademark abandonment request was fradulent

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Rösti

Unconfirmed Member
Update: Filing was fraudulent: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=99495245&postcount=485

On February 1, 2014, Ubisoft Entertainment received an email from TEAS@uspto.gov notifying Ubisoft Entertainment that a Request for Express Abandonment had been filed in connection with Application Serial No. 85642398. The Request for Express Abandonment purports to be signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft Entertainment, Yves Guillemot.

Mr. Guillemot, however, did not sign the Request for Express Abandonment, nor did Ubisoft Entertainment file the Request for Express Abandonment. The Request for Express Abandonment is fraudulent and was not filed by Ubisoft Entertainment or its representative.

As of this filing, the Office has not yet issued a Notice of Abandonment.
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I posted this here, but maybe it could warrant a thread still. Anyway, Ubisoft currently has in the US six trademarks for Watch Dogs, some for game software and some for other things such as sweatpants and hosiery. For whatever reason, they have filed an express abandonment for the primary application, serial number 85642398, which has the following good and services:

IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Game software and electronic game programs, namely, software games recorded on CD-ROM and digital video discs for computers; software games recorded on CD-ROMs, digital video discs, and cartridges for console and individual, portable gaming systems; software games that are downloadable from a remote computer site and electronic game software for mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and handheld computers

watchdogsrtdq9.png


Source: http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85642398&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

Computer error or something else?
 

RoboPlato

I'd be in the dick
It doesn't have the underscore. Would that make a difference for the trademark? They may have just kept the one with the underscore and let the other variations go.
 

F0rneus

Tears in the rain
Could be because Watch Dogs is a far too common expression, while Watch_Dogs will be associated with their future game.
 

ekim

Member
The game is nearly finished and costed a fortune to date. No way they are canning it. Maybe they'll rename it?
 

Matt99J

Banned
Is it just that specific trademark? Because if it is, it's nothing significant. The official name of the franchise (and the game) is Watch_Dogs so them losing this trademark is probably simply because they aren't using it and have no plans to do so.
 
R

Rösti

Unconfirmed Member
It doesn't have the underscore. Would that make a difference for the trademark? They may have just kept the one with the underscore and let the other variations go.
They've never trademarked it as Watch_Dogs, that's just in branding.
 

Clov

Member
No way they'll cancel it after pouring so much money into it. They must just be giving it a new name.
 

kick51

Banned
OK WE GET IT UBISOFT

YOU ARE DOING A VIRAL CAMPAIGN

goddamn, this is probably a sign of how heavy handed the game's message will be
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
Well, possibility #1 is that everything is cancelled and Ubisoft is selling themselves to China to make F2P MMO shooters for the internet cafe market.

Possibility #2 is that this is some sort of technicality with the trademark that will be resolved without impacting the game. I would suspect they're either trademarking the name as Watchdogs or actually trying to put the stylized _ in the trademark. Or this was a filing error altogether.
 

Oddduck

Member
As everyone has mentioned above, they might as well rename it to Assassin's Creed 5. Especially since every AC takes place in a different time period anyways.
 

NotLiquid

Member
Well isn't Ubi's fiscal call soon? Might hear something soon.

Things have really been way too quiet about this game. Not expecting a cancellation but I wouldn't be surprised if things have changed quite a deal since.
 
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