Gamezebo
Open main menu
Search

Tag: copyright

  • King: We don’t enforce against all uses of CANDY
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    • PC
    King: We don’t enforce against all uses of CANDY

    By

    On Monday morning, Gamezebo broke news of a story too strange to be believed. King, the makers of Candy Crush Saga, had trademarked the word CANDY. While this won't affect the likes of Skittles or SweeTarts, app developers whose games have 'candy' in their name braced for the oncoming storm.But according to a King spokesperson, that storm may not really be coming."We have trademarked the word 'CANDY' in the EU, as our IP is constantly being infringed and we have to enforce our rights and to protect our players from confusion. We don't enforce against all uses of CANDY - some are legitimate and of course, we would not ask App developers who use the term legitimately to stop doing so."
  • King has trademarked the word CANDY (and you’re probably infringing)
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    • PC
    King has trademarked the word CANDY (and you’re probably infringing)

    By

    When you have an intellectual property - especially one that's worth millions of dollars - you want to protect it. But can such protections ever go too far? That's the question a lot of industry watchers are asking this morning, as developers far and wide whose games include the word 'candy' are getting emails from Apple on behalf of King, the makers of Candy Crush Saga.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 for publication. 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)."Lots of devs are frustrated cause it seems so ridiculous" says Benny Hsu, the maker of All Candy Casino Slots - Jewel Craze Connect: Big Blast Mania Land. Benny's game, which shares no similarities with King's properties aside from the word 'candy,' is one of a number of games that have been targeted by King. 
  • Attack of the Clones: Battling Copyright Infringement in the Courts
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    • PC
    Attack of the Clones: Battling Copyright Infringement in the Courts

    By

    Several recent court cases, including the EA vs. Zynga lawsuit and the proliferation of "cloned" games, have opened up the debate on how taking too much inspiration from existing games influences innovation in the industry—to the point that an industry body like TIGA even sent out a questionnaire on the subject to its members. The issue is now on everyone's agenda, as cloning (or "fast follow") is on the rise again with shorter development cycles on new platforms such as social and mobile. And while many creators of original concepts are unhappy, few actually take action.
  • 12 new “With Friends” trademark applications filed, but not by Zynga
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    12 new “With Friends” trademark applications filed, but not by Zynga

    By

    Combining asynchronous multiplayer with classic gaming formulas is quickly becoming big business, and Zynga knows it. That's why they acquired Newtoy, the developer behind such hits as Words With Friends, Chess With Friends, and Hanging With Friends. In fact, Zynga thinks it could be such big business that they're trying to trademark the term "With Friends" to protect their branding. And it looks like they're doing so with good reason - Fusible.com is reporting that inXile Entertainment's CEO Brian Fargo may be trying to trademark 12 different "With Friends" games of his own.
  • The MaXplosion situation was an indie powder keg waiting to go off
    News
    • iOS
    The MaXplosion situation was an indie powder keg waiting to go off

    By

    If you were a developer of an indie hit on Xbox Live Arcade that was critically acclaimed, you'd be pretty pleased with yourself. Now imagine you're that same developer working furiously on a sequel, when all of a sudden a major publisher releases an iPhone game that seems to copy your formula point for point. That's exactly what the developers at Twisted Pixel Games woke up to discover earlier this week when Capcom released MaXplosion, a game with a more than passing resemblance to their own Splosion Man.
  • Did EdisonGame steal The Blocks Cometh from developer Halfbot?
    News
    • iOS
    Did EdisonGame steal The Blocks Cometh from developer Halfbot?

    By

    As a developer, EdisonGame isn't known for their creativity. Their recent release Rainbow Pony seems to borrow heavily from Solipskier. Before that they released HugeWorm, a game that seems to cut and paste the Super Mega Worm formula. But while cookie cutter games are a dime a dozen on the App Store, out and out theft is not. Yet that's exactly what EdisonGame now stands accused of regarding their recent release The Blocks Cometh.