OHIM
Latest
Apple snagged partial rights for 'Lightning' trademark from Harley Davidson
Who says big companies can't be bros when it comes to trademarks? Since Apple had no need for its Lightning connector to appear on "motorcycle parts, slot machines or tachometers," it buddied up with Harley Davidson to secure partial use of the cycle maker's IP for its new iDevice interface, according to recent info from the European trademark office. That allowed it to use a name that's sympatico with its Thunderbolt moniker, while presumably letting Harley retain the rights for its heavier metal accessories. Also, should Cook & co. run up against a mid-life crisis, at least they'll have quick relief on speed-dial.
Sony trademarks 'Rain,' 'Until Dawn' in EU and US before Gamescom
Sony is either preparing a few unannounced IPs for the public eye, or it's really concerned about the weather at Gamescom next week. Sony has trademarked "Rain" and "Until Dawn" in the US and Europe, both as "computer game software." The above image was included with the Rain filing via OHIM, the European trademark system.Until Dawn was registered on OHIM in May and on USPTO in August; Rain hit both OHIM and USPTO on July 30. No additional information is provided in the filings, but OnlySP links the Rain trademark with a gif depicting an unknown PlayStation quick-time-event (mostly because it happens to be raining in the scene). The image in Rain's filing takes a more Limbo approach than the gif suggests, but for now any speculation is just that.Sony's Gamescom press conference is on Tuesday, August 14, and the trademark timing seems right for a reveal.
'Hitman: Absolution' trademark filed by Square Enix
A trademark application for "Hitman: Absolution," submitted by Square Enix, is under review by OHIM, the European Union's trademark and designs registry. The filing has been classified under "video game software," indicating that it could be the title of the next Hitman game. Following years of shaky updates on the status of IO Interactive's fifth Hitman installment, a recent ARG pointed to an unveiling at E3 this June. If "Absolution" is indeed the name of the game, then expect to see Agent 47 finally wash all that blood off his hands. Wait -- he's been wearing gloves, hasn't he? Never mind. [Pictured: Image from the Hitman ARG]
Namco Bandai files for 'Katamari Amore,' 'Time Trip' trademarks
Siliconera has turned up listings for four trademark applications that Namco Bandai recently submitted to the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (the trademark registry for the European Union). While all of the potential trademarks have been filed under general video game-related classifications, two are explicitly linked to the publisher's Katamari Damacy franchise. Filings for "Katamari Amore" and "Katamari Amore Rolling Whopper" indicate that Namco Bandai might be preparing to roll out a new entry in the ball-it-up series. (That, or maybe two great kings are forming a strategic alliance for fast food promotion.) It's been nearly seven months since Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi left Nacmo Bandai for good; though he wasn't directly involved with the last four Katamari games, which marked a steady decline for the brand. 2009's HD iteration, Katamari Forever for PS3, did little to update the played out formula, and Namco Bandai has shelved the series since. Namco Bandai filed two additional trademark applications, for "Time Trip" and "Have a nice trip!," along with the Katamari ones, but there's no clear relation between the set. Of course, anything "Trip" calls to mind one-half of the dynamic duo in last year's critical darling Enslaved -- not that we're calling these vague 'marks any indication of a sequel. [Pictured: Beautiful Katamari]
Motorola registers 'Backflip' name, could be for the Motus
We think there's probably a really good reason why landscape QWERTY handsets don't hinge in reverse, but hey, everyone gets a little wild and crazy once in a while, right? Cellpassion has discovered that Moto has recently secured rights to the "Backflip" name in Europe, which would dovetail nicely with that allegedly leaked image of the upcoming Motus a few days back -- we hadn't really considered it the first time around, but on second look, we can imagine how this wouldn't be your average mechanism here. Sadly, the latest rumors have this thing based on Android 1.5 when it hits next quarter, suggesting that Motorola's having a hell of a time updating BLUR for newer builds -- and that could be a huge sticking point for 'em going forward.
