Not if I get to it first
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Is Sony trying to trademark the term "Let's Play"?
- Thread starter Seraphis Cain
- Start date
Not if I get to it first
As I understand (I am not a lawyer) with trademarks you have to enforce them if you don't want to lose many of your rights. They're different from copyrights in that way.
Metroid is Dead
SomedayTheFire
Member
They can't retroactively do anything. As long as they use this as, say a tagline to an ad they're "enforcing it". Enforcing doesn't mean find everyone who's used the term and tell them to stop.
The most concerning thing in this thread are that there are people that didn't like Kevin Butler.
Yeah, I dont get it how some people didnt like those ads, they were awesome
You act like I'm not already 5 steps ahead of you.
slavesnyder
Member
I still miss him. He was ace.
On topic: Stupid slogan. Already too associated with gaming videos.
Chaos2Frozen
Member
+1 for Kevin Butler fan
E3 2016 megaton plz.
E3 2016 megaton plz.
It's still a douche move, as they have no moral right to assert any sort of ownership or TM rights over "let's play". They didn't come up with them, and it's a common term at this point. I don't see how you could trademark something that's already generic.
There are people that didn't like the Kevin Butler campaign? I don't even.
Sony needs to bring him back.
hodayathink
Member
Sony sued him for using a Wii controller in a tire commercial, so I don't think he's coming back.
LukasTaves
Member
This seems fishy, even if their intent is to launch a service named like that.
I mean, it definitely does not sound ok to trademark a service with a slogan that's already used anywhere, just to force the competition to not use it.
I mean, it definitely does not sound ok to trademark a service with a slogan that's already used anywhere, just to force the competition to not use it.
Actually I am aware that companies enforce their brand names in the US press, if a reporter uses the word Kleenex when they actually meant the generic tissue paper they might get a letter from the company correcting them.
He helped revitalize the brand.Pretty cringe but Sony has done worse.
Remember those stupid ass commercials with "Sony's own Kevin Butler"?
Did ANYONE find those funny?
He provided the only sony commercials that I liked.The most concerning thing in this thread are that there are people that didn't like Kevin Butler.
NihonTiger90
Member
FYI, the USPTO sent Sony a non-final action on Dec. 29 about the filing, and those get sent out if there's a problem with the trademark filing.
They usually have 6 months (until June 29 in this case) to respond to the action before the trademark is considered abandoned.
I wonder if the examiner for the trademark sent the letter to Sony because they felt it was too broad a claim and it wouldn't hold up in court as is.
They usually have 6 months (until June 29 in this case) to respond to the action before the trademark is considered abandoned.
I wonder if the examiner for the trademark sent the letter to Sony because they felt it was too broad a claim and it wouldn't hold up in court as is.
Hibiki Kurosawa
Member
Trying to get associated with all Let's Play vids already out there? Sneaky PR.
Outrun
Member
FF Seraphim
Member
The most concerning thing in this thread are that there are people that didn't like Kevin Butler.
People who don't like even a single Kevin Butler ad, have no sense of humor.
Look at this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwPWN3Ul6U8
Hilariousness
Live Free or Die
Banned
Pretty cringe but Sony has done worse.
Remember those stupid ass commercials with "Sony's own Kevin Butler"?
Did ANYONE find those funny?
Umm those were the best video game commericals. ever.
Lettuce Play
Bring back Jack as the KB replacement.
Let Jack just smug face for the whole ad then end with "Greatness Awaits".
giant_frying_pan
Member
Nintendo to copyright, "Let's-a Play!"
dark-knight
Member
DownGrader
Member
Yes, and for Motorola Droid, Verizon actually had to license it from Lucasfilm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Droid
Although "droid" is really far more specific than "android", "drone" or "robot."
Typically people with a sense of humor.
tummyrubbins
Neo Member
ACTUALLY... " Pseudo Mark: LET US PLAY" (Directly from the trademark page.)
yog-sothot
Member
I liked some of the PSone commercials more (in EU) but they were great indeed
And I usually hate any kind of ad
robotzombie
Member
your schtick is honestly becoming insufferable
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Oyashrio-Sama
Member
This is probably more of a marketing thing. Makes it so MS and Nintendo can't use a widely used and recognized term while talking about there own consoles and services.
This will probably have 0 impact on anyone else.
This will probably have 0 impact on anyone else.
arhra
Member
If the trademark office is going it's job correctly, this wouldn't even be granted in the first place.
You can't register exclusive rights for a generic term, which "Let's Play" very clearly is in the category in question.
Dangansona
Member
It's so obvious that this is what it is to me. Why would they piss of the YouTubers that are currently giving them free marketing? They would grab the trademark and only enforce it on Microsoft or Nintendo if they used it as a tagine in a commercial.
You know what, I don't think Sony did this maliciously. They probably were doing it for an ad campaign. They may not have even thought about the fact that it was already used a lot in gaming communities as they had their mind on it being for an ad campaign. I suppose though that makes for bad lawyers if they aren't considering all angles. Maybe they didn't think the gaming community would be upset as they had in mind different reasons and didn't think about how it would look to the gaming community.
I just have a really hard time thinking they are that stupid that they would purposely try to take the phrase away from a common usage among gamers when gamers are their main market.
Then again, I also thought MS wasn't *that* dumb to make an online only console the first time rumors went around about it (that was a year before xbox one came out. It's still amazing MS went through with it cause even at vague rumors people were getting upset so it should have told MS how well that would go over). So... I have been known to overestimate how intelligent companies can be sometimes about the market they cater to.
I just have a really hard time thinking they are that stupid that they would purposely try to take the phrase away from a common usage among gamers when gamers are their main market.
Then again, I also thought MS wasn't *that* dumb to make an online only console the first time rumors went around about it (that was a year before xbox one came out. It's still amazing MS went through with it cause even at vague rumors people were getting upset so it should have told MS how well that would go over). So... I have been known to overestimate how intelligent companies can be sometimes about the market they cater to.
BabyFaceKillah
Member
Trademark generic terms brehs
It reads like it's the name of a service, nothing about this suggests that there's going to be issues for people using those words, unless of course there used as a business or service name and it's going to cause confusion about whether it's this service or not.
It's similar to Sky copyrighting the title Sky Sports. That doesn't mean they own the two words but it does prevent people using the regstered name for their own use.
It's similar to Sky copyrighting the title Sky Sports. That doesn't mean they own the two words but it does prevent people using the regstered name for their own use.
Did you just say this while getting copyright and trademarks mixed up?
They do have to defend it becoming a generic term if they were to hope to protect it. It would be problematic. But if the Trademark Office is doing their job in the slightest then they'll knock it back.
This'll be the equivalent of Just Do It - any other sportswear manufacturers can't use it, and I would guess it can't be used in relation to sports & sporting events - but a DIY chain could still use it.
My guess is they Somy will have to be really specific with the context that infringement has taken place.
My guess is they Somy will have to be really specific with the context that infringement has taken place.
Elitist1945
Member
I took that as they want to have it as a slogan similar to "Long Live Play" on ads and stuff. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me.
tummyrubbins
Neo Member
What if Sony is just making a game called Let's Play... Or a new app, the Let's Playroom.
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