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Statement of DIESELSTORMERS Developer Black Forest Games Regarding the Trademark Dispute with DIESEL: "Just one more challenge"



Offenburg, Germany, July 28 2014 | Last Friday, German indie games developer Black Forest Games (Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams) received a letter, stating that the Italien fashion brand DIESEL had filed legal opposition to Black Forest's trademark filing of "Dieselstormers". If Dieselstormers, a multiplayer action game out on Steam Early Access, would receive a trademark, it was argued, there would be a "Likelihood of confusion" with the DIESEL brand. The trademark for DIESEL brand covers not only fashion, the company's main product, but Christmas tree decorations, toothpaste, walking sticks and many others things, among them games.

Since the trademark is now contested by a non-German company the developer will simply wait for a ruling of the "Office for the Harmonization in the Internal Market", an EU agency. In all probability an understanding will be reached as Black Forest have no intent to create clothing under the Dieselstormers brand - and the "Diesel" part of Dieselstormers refers to the liquid fuel type of the same name and is not a parody of the fashion brand.

Andreas Speer, Managing Director of Black Forest Games, keeps his cool: "The history of the Dieselstormers project is full of challenges. This dispute is simply one more thing to overcome, but we will not be deterred in our will to make a great game."

More information about Dieselstormers:

Background: Hell has broken loose in the little town of Ravensdale. Since the discovery of oil hundreds of humans have been turned into ferocious orcs. Suddenly, machines arise and new forms of magic are possible, as evil monsters ravage the city and enslave the humans, all the while drinking goop – that's what they call the oil – as if it was beer. Yet, a group of brave citizens, the "Resistance", stands to fight back with oil-fueled armor and weapons, slashing the orcs in bombastic battles and facing unpredictable bosses.


Features: Dieselstormers offers action-packed multi-player fights in procedural levels (including procedurally generated bosses!) and a highly engaging meta-game that allows players to create the perfect weapon, choosing from a wide range of possible combinations. Dieselstormers is a flexible multi-player game. People can play solo, of course, but if a level turns out to be too tricky they can simply invite others and play in local co-op mode or online. The level of difficulty doesn't change; the chances of succeeding are therefore better when playing with two or three other Dieselknights.