Langdell Still Claims Control Over The Word Edge; Sues EA For Mirror's Edge
from the step-away-from-the-edge dept
We’ve covered Tim Langdell and his ridiculous trademark claims for years. He’s the guy who got a trademark on the word “edge” for a video game fifteen or so years ago, and now seems to spend all of his time threatening and/or suing any game or app maker who puts the word “edge” in the title, even though there’s no likelihood of confusion, and Langdell’s own failure to actually release a game in many years raises questions about how valid the mark is. EA, who had been threatened by Langdell for its Mirror’s Edge game asked the USPTO to dump the trademark last year, claiming not only have the marks been abandoned, but that they were obtained via fraudulent means. The PTO is still reviewing that request.
However, Langdell is not sitting still. His lawyers kindly spammed me today with the news that they’re suing EA over this trademark. Not surprisingly, they play up Langdell’s position, and leave out the abandonment of the trademark, the lack of any likelihood of confusion and other pertinent details along those lines. Trademark law, despite Langdell’s apparent belief, does not give a company full control over a word, especially if they’re not using it. No one is confusing Mirror’s Edge with Langdell’s ancient games.
Filed Under: edge, mirror's edge, tim langdell, trademark, video games
Companies: ea
Comments on “Langdell Still Claims Control Over The Word Edge; Sues EA For Mirror's Edge”
Jurors should be instructed: “Does this hinder the progress of science and useful arts?”
If so, fine it’s infringement. If not? Quit wasting the courts time and my tax dollars.
Re: Re:
I am so going to do a crappy, suck-ass game called “Edge”. The object will to be to get the boss’ lawyer to kill him.
It’ll be magic, I promise.
Re: Re:
Repeat after me. Trademark is not the same as Copyright.
Re: Re: Re:
good for you, you win a cookie.
whats your point?
ONE WORD...just a bit over n over
EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.EDGE.
Re: You bastard, you beat me to it
Edge
Re: ONE WORD...just a bit over n over
i’m sorry. what was that last part again?
Re: Re: ONE WORD...just a bit over n over
Well towards the EDGE of his argument, he beings to get EDGY and I think it ends with EDGE. or something edgy like that
Free advertising
Ya know…
That article just told us about the fact that the Mirror’s Edge was getting a sequel.
I guess EA is using this to try to boost their sales.
Re: Free advertising
The “article” is a press release. It didn’t come from EA.
Whoa, suddenly I’m on slashdot.
If I make a game called double edge, do i get sued twice? Better yet what about infinite edge or infinity edge…
Name it Monster’s Edge and you can watch this company and Monster Cable trip over each other trying to file frivolous lawsuits.
U2
What about that guy from U2? If I were him I would be pissed!
Re: U2
U2 and Gillette are arming lawyers for combat.
People rail against “trolls” who engage in patent litigation. Quite frankly, in is my view that far, far more problematic are general practice firms that hold themselves out as “IP experts” when, in fact, a much more accurate characterization would in my view be “IP dabblers”.
“Trolls” sometimes bring discredit on the patent system, but “dabblers” exact a much higher price across the board in so many more areas.
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Whoa. Even the trolls are offended.
Isn’t EDGE a cell phone protocol?
“Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) is a backward-compatible digital mobile phone technology that allows improved data transmission rates…” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDGE
First software, next the world.
Best stock pile my shaving cream while I can.
Good thing there’s not a Monster Bogart Edge product out there. 3 lawsuits would be horrendous to deal with.
Seriously, it’s about time defendants of these cases are given automatic restitution against idiotic claims like this. I feel they should get $250,000 for every item they manufacture.
That’ll teach these plaintiffs.
LOL @ “kindly spammed”
Kinda like Tosh’s bit about polite Tourette’s.
NICE HAIR!!