Support NeoGAF

[PaulLFC]

The developer of casual gaming mega-success Candy Crush has trademarked the word "candy" for use in a vast range of products.

King has successfully applied to use the word in games, games accessories, merchandise, and a vast array other items, including "paper hats for use as clothing".

The application, which Gamasutra reports was originally filed last year, was finally approved on 15th January.

A 30-day window now exists for companies to oppose the trademark.

But already, reports have surfaced of other mobile game developers being served notifications by Apple, on behalf of King, that they will need to change their app's name.

King may have a legitimate axe to grind against blatant clones of its game, but at least one developer has claimed to have been targeted unfairly. The developer of slot machine game "All Candy Casino Slots - Jewel Craze Connect: Big Blast Mania Land" was one of the companies affected.

Lest you forget, Candy Crush Saga was one of Eurogamer's 2013 Games of the Year.

I thought that app name might be a joke, but no, it exists.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-21-candy-crush-dev-king-has-trademarked-the-word-candy

 

[Cheddahz]

This is just....ummmm

lol

 

[Infinite_Daremo]

So if a game was released prior to this trademark do they have to pull their games too?

The first company I worked for we made a Halloween game which had the name candy in it.

 

[HawthorneKitty]

I hope to see some opposition.

 

[antronoid]

Ridiculous

 

[Mr_Pooriya]

This is sooo fucked up!

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

Candy Land

 

[Samyy]

30 days to object, I'm sure there will be tons of objections.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

There will be shit loads of objections, it will get cut to pieces and the classes will be stripped down to nothing but for using in video game software.

 

[Marjar]

This is just further evidence to me that this game is pure evil.

 

[Bony Manifesto]

The weirdest part is that King only uses the word 'candy' in that one game title, but they use 'saga' in all of them. Why not trademark that instead?

 

[PaulLFC]

So if a game was released prior to this trademark do they have to pull their games too?

The first company I worked for we made a Halloween game which had the name candy in it.

It would seem so, as the slot machine game with the incredibly long name in the OP was released on January 14th, and the trademark was only approved on the 15th according to Eurogamer.

 

[EdibleKnife]

Candy Land

That has to be Sweets Land now

 

[Visualante2]

Confectionary Squash Odyssey

Read the other day Cadbury tried to trademark the use of purple in chocolate packaging.

 

[TheZjman]

Wait, so can they retrospectively enforce this? Surely they can't claim games made before they filed for it in 2013 did it to infringe their patent.... can they?

 

[Oriel]

And yet Popcap doesn't sue King.com for blatant copyright infringement of Bejewelled. What a crazy world.

King has a neck on them like a Jockeys bollox.

 

[Sylverstone14]

Edge, take two.

 

[Finalizer]

Old news.

 

[PaleFolklore]

Lest you forget, Candy Crush Saga was one of Eurogamer's 2013 Games of the Year.

waht. this whole article has me shaking my head so hard I'm worried it might spin off

 

[Cheddahz]

Old news.

That thread just mentioned they were going for the trademark, this thread talks about how the trademark was approve

 

[Radec]

Spoiler

until they trademark that too

 

[flkraven]

That thread just mentioned they were going for the trademark, this thread talks about how the trademark was approve

From that thread's OP:

On January 15, 2014 the filing was approved.

So ya, basically the same info from a different source.

 

[Finalizer]

That thread just mentioned they were going for the trademark, this thread talks about how the trademark was approve

In a filing with the US trademark office dated February 6, 2013, King.com Limited registered claim to the word ‘candy’ as it pertains to video games and, strangely, clothing. On January 15, 2014 the filing was approved. And now, a mere five days later, reports are coming in from developers that they’re being asked to remove their app (or prove that their game doesn’t infringe upon the trademark).

Even mentions the same Candy Casino Slots thing as this article.

 

[fertygo]

Man.. Video Game is so fucking silly at these day.

 

[AlphaTwo00]

And yet Popcap doesn't sue King.com for blatant copyright infringement of Bejewelled. What a crazy world.

You mean Eugene Alemzhin, who created Shariki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shariki

Popcap isn't a saint as most make them out to be, just like how Zuma isn't exactly theirs.

 

[onQ123]

How?

 

[U n i o n 0015]

Trademarking a word is so EDGY.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

Amusing, given that their riches depend on leeching ideas off of others (like Popcap).

 

[Blues1990]

(I feel that current trademark & copyright system is in long need of an extensive overhaul, but what do I know.)

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

ITT posters STILL don't understand how trademarks/copyrights/patents work

 

[shinobi602]

 

[Nymphae]

Amusing, given that their riches depend on leeching ideas off of others (like Popcap).

Haha 100%.

 

[1979]

King may have a legitimate axe to grind against blatant clones of its game

The irony is a little too much.

 

[kitsuneyo]

I thought common words couldn't be trademarked?

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

The irony is a little too much.

The rip-off train stops here!

 

[Coen]

I need some insight from phisheep!

 

[Portugeezer]

I can understand this, although it never ceases to sound ridiculous.

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

Can't be real.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

(I feel that current trademark & copyright system is in long need of an extensive overhaul, but what do I know.)

They own this now..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrQ8NHz6T4Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Ahasverus]

ITT posters STILL don't understand how trademarks/copyrights/patents work

Please enlighten us

 

[AlphaTwo00]

ITT posters STILL don't understand how trademarks/copyrights/patents work

I think many of us do. We don't have to agree that it's right though.

 

[danmaku]

Considering how cute and sugary those games look, it's funny to see how ruthless their market is. Kill or be killed, sue or be sued.

 

[MMaRsu]

this is retarded.

 

[Tash]

Totally utterly, fucking unbelievable..

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/01/21/stealing-candy-from-babies-king-embrace-the-aristocracy/

 

[MMaRsu]

so noone can create a game that has the word candy in it right?

 

[massoluk]

No company should be able to expect trademark protection after naming game with a generic word like this.

 

[Baleoce]

.

 

[Timeaisis]

Candy Land

Seriously, what happens with Candy Land? That boardgame has been around for like, 50 years? Surely it has it copyrighted and trademarked. Does that all the sudden make them in violation of a the new "Candy" trademark? Forgive me for being ignorant of the confusion mess that is copyright law, but I'm genuinely curious for what this means for older products that happen to use the word "Candy".

EDIT: I have a decent idea about what can actually be done about this by the regular people. We can genericize their trademark by calling every puzzle-based casual game "Candy". It's generic already, after all. What do you all think?

 

[PFD]

Fuck this shit

 

[fantomena]

CANDY! CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!

Arrest me for illegal trademark infrigment!