ludicrous copyright issues in the gaming industry

Trivia and stories about ludicrous copyright issues in the gaming industry:

1. The “Candy” Saga King vs. Everyone (2014): The creators of Candy Crush Saga attempted to trademark the word “Candy” in the gaming industry. This led to a wave of backlash from indie developers and gamers, as “candy” is an incredibly common word. Developers protested with a “Candy Jam” event, creating games with candy themes to mock the trademark attempt. King eventually dropped the trademark bid.
2. The “Edge” Obsession Edge Games vs. Everyone: Tim Langdell, the founder of Edge Games, became infamous for aggressively pursuing trademarks on the word “Edge.” He sued multiple companies, including EA for their game Mirror’s Edge. However, he lost credibility when it was discovered he had falsified evidence. His trademarks were revoked, and EA won the case.
3. The Elder Scrolls vs. Scrolls Bethesda vs. Mojang (2011): Bethesda, creators of The Elder Scrolls series, sued Mojang (the studio behind Minecraft) over their card game titled Scrolls. Bethesda argued the title was too similar to The Elder Scrolls. The case ended in a settlement, allowing Mojang to keep the name but transferring the trademark to Bethesda.
4. Fortnite Dances Debacle Epic Games vs. Celebrities (2018): Fortnite faced multiple lawsuits over its in-game dances, which closely resembled moves popularized by celebrities. Rapper 2 Milly, actor Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton Dance), and others sued Epic Games for using their dance moves without permission. Most cases were dismissed due to the difficulty of copyrighting choreography.
5. Donkey Kong vs. King Kong Universal Studios vs. Nintendo (1982): Universal sued Nintendo, claiming Donkey Kong infringed on their King Kong copyright. However, Nintendo’s lawyers demonstrated that Universal had previously argued King Kong was in the public domain. Nintendo won the case, and this legal victory helped establish the company as a gaming powerhouse.
6. “It’s in the Game” EA Sports vs. NCAA Athletes (2013): EA Sports faced lawsuits for using the likenesses of college athletes in its NCAA Football games without their permission. The athletes argued they deserved compensation for the use of their names and likenesses. EA eventually settled for $40 million, and the case helped spark broader debates about college athlete compensation.
7. Pac-Man Ripoffs Midway vs. Copycats (1980s): The massive success of Pac-Man led to a flood of ripoffs, like K.C. Munchkin for the Magnavox Odyssey. Atari, the distributor of Pac-Man in the U.S., sued over the similarity. Courts ruled in Atari’s favor, setting a precedent for protecting game mechanics and visuals.
8. The Flappy Bird Fallout Flappy Bird Clones (2014): After the sudden removal of Flappy Bird by its creator Dong Nguyen, app stores were flooded with clones. Many developers faced takedowns due to similarities, and Google and Apple even banned the word “Flappy” from app titles for a time.
9. Too Close for Comfort PUBG vs. Fortnite (2018): The creators of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corp.) sued Fortnite for copying their battle royale format. The case was later dropped, likely due to the difficulty of copyrighting game genres.
10. Crazy Taxi’s Trademark Sound SEGA vs. Fox Interactive (2003): SEGA sued Fox Interactive and Radical Entertainment, claiming their game The Simpsons: Road Rage copied gameplay elements and even the distinctive “arrow” navigation system from Crazy Taxi. The case ended in a confidential settlement.