Putt Putt?
Also, Don Mattrick?!
That's what I thought too. Didn't they let you play one of these games at the Royal Ontario Museum?
What is Putt-Putt Craft? Shouldn't they be aiming this at YouTube users if it's a user-created thing?
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Putt-Putt send cease and desist letter to Mojang for trademark infringment
- Thread starter Harlock
- Start date
That's what I thought too. Didn't they let you play one of these games at the Royal Ontario Museum?
What is Putt-Putt Craft? Shouldn't they be aiming this at YouTube users if it's a user-created thing?
I think its great. So people realize how ridiculous it is.
Putt Putt?
Also, Don Mattrick?!
Hah this is the first thing I thought of also.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Because they wasted his time? Because they sent a trumped up pseudo-legal letter to scare him? Because they were wrong? Because there's no expectation of privacy in something like this? Because if he was a little guy he'd actually be legitimately worried about being sued and losing his shirt? Because this isn't the first bogus-ass legal threat he's got?
Poor multi-million dollar minigolf corporation, how dare the mean bald guy embarrass them like this?
The Faceless Master
Member
except that's not actually the case and fair use is still a thing. i would love to see them try to claim ownership of text descriptions of youtube videos in court.
True Underdog
Member
Uh... The Putt-Putt golf place is the place with the complaint.
I remember going to Putt-Putt a lot as a kid. I didn't mini golf much, though. I would spend a lot of time playing the Terminator Pinball Machine or hustling other kids at air hockey. Til one kid's mom got pissed at me and tracked my mom down to tell her what I was doing.
Oh yeah and go-karts.
Poltergust
Member
Putt Putt?
Also, Don Mattrick?!
~Putt Putt saves the zoo.
Putt Putt saves the zoo.
Putt Putt saves the zoo.
Putt Putt saves the zoo.
Putt Putt saves the zoo.
Putt Putt saves the zoo.
Zooooooooooooooooooooooooo.~
That was basically my first adventure game. Fun times.
Also, I never heard of mini-golf being called "putt putt". This is totally new to me.
TheWeaponeer
Banned
In the town I grew up in (down South), our city had one. Before all your new fangled fancy pants gadgets we had minature golf, roller skating, and bmx courses! GET OFF MY LAWN YOU WHIPPERSNAPPERS!
Google "putt putt for the fun of it", and you will get a link to one of their old commericals on YouTube. This same ad aired on our local TV station as well.
Funny they think Notch did this on his own accord; probably because I am sure some of the videos in the letter point to links or state the need for the base 360 version (video links are 360 videos, not PC, sorry...). The protecting copyright enforcement mentioned is also true - the band Twisted Sister recently had to enforce their trademark against a food truck based in Minneapolis. Not always the best of PR, but it is interesting to see the process in action.
Google "putt putt for the fun of it", and you will get a link to one of their old commericals on YouTube. This same ad aired on our local TV station as well.
Funny they think Notch did this on his own accord; probably because I am sure some of the videos in the letter point to links or state the need for the base 360 version (video links are 360 videos, not PC, sorry...). The protecting copyright enforcement mentioned is also true - the band Twisted Sister recently had to enforce their trademark against a food truck based in Minneapolis. Not always the best of PR, but it is interesting to see the process in action.
D
Deleted member 284
Unconfirmed Member
Back in Toronto, in the early 80s, I was introduced to minature golf as Putt-Putt golf through the Professional Putters National Championship TV show on the Buffalo affiliate CBS channel. Apparently it's also the longest running sports show in the USA.
He post these things because it embarrasses the companies and makes them look like the dickheads that we all think they are.
First off.. never heard it being called Putt-Putt so I'm guessing it is an American company, here in the UK most people call it crazy golf if I'm thinking of the same thing.
Second, are they seriously making this after a number of community made videos on a mod for Minecraft with the same name??
Second, are they seriously making this after a number of community made videos on a mod for Minecraft with the same name??
Putt Putt?
Putt Putt saves the zoo!
CrazyTank940
Member
Man I'm getting waves of nostalgia over Putt Putt the car
Sneaky Gato
Member
What ever happened to Humongous? I remember those games being hugely popular as a kid so I can't have imagined they would just drop off the map.
The first thing I thought of when reading the topic title was the car. Is putt-putt golf something exclusive to America?
Speaking of Scribblenauts and copyright infrigment, what happened with the Nyan Cat lawsuit?
As an American, I only know of the Putt-Putt car!
GT Interactive bought them, and was soon part of Atari, Inc. Key staff bailed out after a failed attempt to buy back the company, and was more or less a shell after 2001.
GT Interactive bought them in 1996. Infogrames bought GT in 1999. Infogrames then changed their name to Atari. In 2000 Atari laid off most of the staff and a few years later they closed Humongous.
Sneaky Gato
Member
That's rather sad. I remember spending alot of time on their Freddi Fish, Pajama Sam, Putt-Putt and Backyard Sports games.
My favorite was the Putt Putt game where you had to jump from platform to platform popping balloons. I remember it got insanely hard and something like 300 levels. Anyone else remember that?
My favorite was the Putt Putt game where you had to jump from platform to platform popping balloons. I remember it got insanely hard and something like 300 levels. Anyone else remember that?
BRocknRolla
Member
I'm not sure you know what you're talking about:
1.) Trademark confusion has to exist for the average consumer. As these are online videos related to Minecraft and mini golf courses created using Minecraft, and Putt Putt appears to be an actual, physical mini golf location, they exist in different markets with little chance of confusion. The only thing I can imagine is that Putt Putt may be considering making a game at some point, wherein they would exist in similar markets and trademark issues might actually occur. Not that any of this matters because...
2.) Where I come from, "putt putt" is a generic term for mini golf. I'd venture to guess this is true of a lot of locations. In fact, it's using a term for the action of mini golf, meaning it's already straddling a trademark line where descriptive terms are questinably trademarkable. These videos appear to be mini golf courses created in Minecraft, ergo they are using the colloquial term "putt putt" rather than saying "mini golf." A court may well therefore see that "putt putt" is a generic term and shouldn't hold a trademark in the first place. Maybe some showing could be made that geographical areas in which "Putt Putt" exists don't use it as a generic term, but that wouldn't be grounds for taking these videos down. (Overreaches the boundaries of what could be protected). The only way this could work in their favor is if they can prove the makers of the video have caused actual confusion by creating replicas of the courses, or by using verbiage that makes people think Putt Putt is sponsoring the content. That seems unlikely. But even if all this were true though...
3.) "Putt Putt Craft" is not a term created by, used by, or endorsed by Mojang. From what I can tell from looking up these videos, they're uploaded by, and created by a wide variety of independent users. You can't sue Mojang for what independent users are doing. Mojang couldn't take down these videos if they wanted as they aren't their property. (Mojang might be able to claim copyright or trademark of their own against users I suppose, but even the legality of that is questionable since these are new creations by users, which means they have separate copyright.) Mojang is immune and doesn't have to do a thing.
Case and point; Putt Putt is being an asshole and has no case. This gets thrown out in any court that has half an idea if what is going on. Maybe they're thinking they can make a quick buck, or maybe this is purely reactionary and not thought out. The only thing you said that rings true is that you do have to protect your trademark if you don't want to lose it, but that's a matter of actual or perceived threats in similar markets. There's also a duty not to bring frivolous lawsuits, but people tend to ignore that one.
And yes, I am a lawyer.
Edit: And no, this is not legal advice. (Professional responsibility requirement and all)
Saintguine
Member
Putt Putt goes to the Circus was pretty cool.
I remember seeing Atari had ported some of Humongous' old games to the Wii.
Don Mattrick?
It's dated June 25..
BRocknRolla
Member
Can't say I know off hand. I know Xerox and Kleenex had similar issues as well, but I believe their trademarks were ultimately upheld due to very careful and concerted marketing efforts. Xerox went as far as making posters and giving then to businesses and suppliers that told then to make sure they were using the word "copy" rather than "xerox." Sometimes companies can be victims of their own success.
I would say Putt Putt's case is a bit different from those examples simply because it is a descriptive term, rather than an invented one that becomes part of the language. I grew up in the Midwest, have played my share of mini golf in that time, and heard it called "putt putt" as often as not, but never before was I aware a course was actually named that. Assuming "Putt Putt" was the origin of the term "putt putt," I'd say that's a pretty good example of a name becoming a generic identifier.
Edit: You sparked my curiosity. Here's a Wikipedia link to a bunch of them that have been lost.http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_genericized_trademarks
A few of the highlights; aspirin, escalator, cellophane, dry ice, yo-yo, and zipper (the device, not the dev obviously)
Putt Putt?
Also, Don Mattrick?!
I loved this as a kid. Good to see I wasn't the only one that thought that.
It's kind of weird to sue over YT vids though.
Terra Firma
Banned
Putt Putt?
Also, Don Mattrick?!
Nostalgia overload. Played this in 2nd grade.
BRocknRolla
Member
I love it personally. People who use the law to waste people's time and money shouldn't be free to do so anonymously. Notch and whoever his lawyer is clearly get a kick out of it too.
Would love to have seen the C&D letter for that one. "Word has reached us that your food truck is using our name without permission, and we're not gonna take it aaaaaanymoooooore~"
lol, fuck this. Suing Mojang over you tube videos? I'm not much sure how much sillier you could get.
Also, Putt Putt travels through time was the best. Although I do still vividly recall a song from his zoo game.... "We are ze topiary creatures, we're very pleased to meet chas! Welcome to the zoo zoo zoo!" And while Putt Putt was indeed awesome... the real badass of adventure games was. . . . .
Mother. Fucking. Spy Fox.
Also, Putt Putt travels through time was the best. Although I do still vividly recall a song from his zoo game.... "We are ze topiary creatures, we're very pleased to meet chas! Welcome to the zoo zoo zoo!" And while Putt Putt was indeed awesome... the real badass of adventure games was. . . . .
Mother. Fucking. Spy Fox.
PetriP-TNT
Member
Putt Putt?
Also, Don Mattrick?!
Yup, this is what I thought too.
Putt Putt made a misunderstanding in hiring incompetent lawyers is the misunderstanding
PigSpeakers
Member
Putt Putt?
Also, Don Mattrick?!
Has anyone quoted this image yet?
Mother. Fucking. Spy Fox.
Goddammit GAF. These feels.
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