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'Tales of Zestiria' trademark filed in Europe
Namco Bandai has made discovering what the next Tales game will be a bit of a puzzle, but a European trademark for "Tales of Zestiria," which comes darn close to the "Tales of Zestoria" spotted last month, might shed some light on the situation. Or spur speculation. Either one, really. You can check out the trademark yourself by visiting the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market's website and searching "Tales of Zestiria." Siliconera spotted the filing, which is attributed to Namco Bandai, and is currently listed as "under examination." While many trademarks never amount to anything and there are plenty of "Tales of" trademarks, the fact that Namco has filed for a trademark in the European market that nearly matches one filed in Japan is reason to pause, and continue to tell these tales of trademarks.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call trademarked by Square Enix
Final Fantasy spinoff Theatrhythm may be about to take an encore if a new Square Enix trademark is anything to go by. As spotted by Gematsu, the Japanese mega-company registered a US trademark for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call on August 27. The trademark itself is identified for several properties including game software and music CDs, but beyond that there's not much to go on. The name could apply to so many things: a new game, a new platform, a revamped re-release of the 3DS and iOS game... I could go on, but I'd just be exhibiting my ravenous hunger for more Theatrhythm - reasonably priced Theathythm, mind you.
'Tales of' trademark registration by Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai must be having a giggle by this point, as the publisher has registered several more trademarks for "Tales of" games that make us question the very fabric of reality. Siliconera has translated a report by Hachima Kiko, which found trademarks for Tales of Memories, Tales of Favorite and... Tales of Bibliotheca (stop it!). This follows other recent Tales of Trademarks, which include (deep breath): Tales of Zestoria, Tales of Creales, Tales of Catastora, Tales of Link (good luck getting that past Nintendo's lawyers), Tales of Jin and Tales of Ansis. As Siliconera points out, not all these trademarks will turn into games, but it is fun telling these tales of Tales of Trademark Registration.
Motorola settles trademark dispute with Xoom Corp, will phase out tablet's name
Get a good lawyer and sometimes they'll tell you that your best hope is to settle a case, rather than participate in a courtroom brawl. That's exactly the route that Motorola Mobility is taking to resolve its trademark infringement spat with Xoom Corporation, an online payment provider that took issue with the Xoom tablet's name. Now, it's come to light that both parties have entered into a confidential agreement that'll require Google's subsidiary to phase out its use of the Xoom branding. A Motorola spokesperson confirmed the settlement, saying "The matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties involved," but due to the nature of the agreement, it's likely that other details may never see the light of day. Just don't act too surprised when future Motorola tablets take on a new naming scheme -- something under the Moto X umbrella, perhaps?
Blizzard trademark hints at next WoW or Diablo III expansion [Updated]
According to the ever-churning rumor mill, Blizzard Entertainment may be on the cusp of announcing a new expansion to World of Warcraft or Diablo III. The studio has just snagged a new trademark for The Dark Below and identified that trademark as "computer game software" and "downloadable electronic game." The trademark could be for a new game or unannounced IP, but it's more likely the title of an upcoming expansion to one of Blizzard's big existing titles. Smart money is on Diablo III, since Blizz did tease its August 21st Gamescom press conference by saying it would, "capture the attention of the Heavens, Burning Hells, and all the shadowed places that lie between." We also know that Blizzard plans to show off a brand new cinematic at Gamescom -- cinematics tend to come with either new games or new expansions. Any guesses on what The Dark Below might be? [Thanks to Sharvis for the tip!] [Update: Our sister site WoW Insider argues convincingly that this particular registration was merely a hoax.]
Samsung trademark filing for 'Galaxy Gear' hints at smartwatch
The evidence keeps piling up for a Samsung smartwatch that has yet to materialize. Most recently, Dutch site Galaxy Club uncovered a US trademark filing for "Samsung Galaxy Gear" that was published at the end of July. Though a separate application for "Samsung Gear" was submitted in late June, the latest paperwork manages to be a bit more concise and potentially revealing. The documents submitted to Uncle Sam describe an object using the "Gear" moniker as such: Wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet and for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages; wearable electronic handheld devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle for the wireless receipt, storage and/or transmission of data and messages and for keeping track of or managing personal information; smart phones; tablet computers; portable computers Sure, the language focuses largely on a high-tech, wrist-worn device, but hardware bearing the "Gear" name could just as likely be a phone or tablet. Of course, JK Shin and Co. could even be staking claim to the alias without concrete plans for a particular product. Maybe we'll be able to put all this guessing behind us after the South Korean manufacturer's September 4th event -- but we wouldn't bet on it.
BSkyB grants Microsoft temporary use of SkyDrive name in trademark dispute, allows it time to rebrand cloud service
BSkyB may have won the trademark case against Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud service, but there won't be any renaming going on just yet. Today, the British satellite TV provider has announced that it's reached an agreement with Redmond, allowing the software giant to temporarily continue using the name SkyDrive while it handles the transition to a new brand. The arrangement, which includes an undisclosed financial settlement, also means Microsoft won't appeal against the ruling. For now though, you'll just have to find your own way to tell the services apart, until Microsoft figures out what to call its cloud offering going forward.
'Bully' trademark pops up from Take-Two
Take-Two filed a trademark for "Bully" on July 29, covering video game software and all of the related accessories. This could mean Take-Two doesn't want anyone pushing it around and trying to claim the Bully brand as their own, or developer Rockstar could be interested in a new Bully game. Rockstar released Bully in 2006 for PS2, and then made an updated version for Xbox 360, Wii and PC in 2008. It was notorious for stirring up controversy amongst anti-bullying groups with both releases, picking up critical acclaim and awards along the way, fair and square. We reached out to Take-Two for clarification on the trademark. Until then, maybe try another game that has to do with bullying. They're basically the same, right?
Rockstar's Agent may not be KIA, trademarks suggest
While Rockstar Games' Agent entered deep cover and maintained radio silence over the last couple of years, a pair of recently-renewed trademarks discovered by Siliconera suggest that the espionage thriller may still be alive and under development. The trademark filings (documented here and here, though public viewing requires a unique search session) specifically mention Agent's distinct logo, which features "the shape of a handgun comprising the internal section of the letter 'G'". No additional details regarding the project's current status are yet known. Announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in 2009, Agent is a stealth-action game with a storyline set during the Cold War in the 1970s. The game later slipped to a 2010 release date, but failed to materialize. Rockstar announced in 2011 that Agent was "still in development," but has not issued a clarifying statement in the years since.
'Soulcalibur Lost Swords' trademark enters the stage
Namco Bandai has filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for Soulcalibur Lost Swords, a potential new entry in the storied fighting franchise. The trademark was filed last week on July 11 and specifically mentions a game "that may be accessed network-wide by network users via mobile phones and computers; providing computer games via network between communications networks and computers." No other information is provided in the Soulcalibur Lost Swords trademark filing. Soulcalibur V launched on the PS3 and Xbox 360 early last year. It's a game that our review said is "simultaneously one of the best Soul Calibur games ever made, as well as the worst Soul Calibur game ever made" due to its strong fighting mechanics and less-than-stellar production values.
Nintendo registers suspiciously Seaman-ish trademarks
Nintendo has registered two trademarks in Japan that sound a heck of a lot like a certain man-faced fish from the Dreamcast days. Mysterious Partner: Legend of the Fish With A Human Face and Mysterious Pet: Legend of the Fish With A Human Face are the two terms in question, and when we hear the term "fish with a human face," Seaman is the first aqua-dude that springs to mind. There have been murmurs in the past of a Nintendo-fueled Seaman revitalization on the 3DS, the most recent being a Nikkei report from February of last year. The report posited that a Seaman revival was the first step in a larger Nintendo master plan to revive defunct competitors' products on the 3DS. Since then, Seaman creator Yoot Saito has designed Aero Porter (as part of Guild01) for Nintendo's handheld. He also tweeted a picture of a Santa-themed Seaman about a year ago, which remains as unexplained now as it was the day he posted it.
Apple reportedly hiring new talent to solve iWatch design problems
Rumors, suggestions and trademark applications have been building a case for an wrist-worn Apple product for some time now -- an official iWatch to fulfill the wearable potential of the iPod Nano. Now, the Financial Times says the company is "aggressively" hiring to help it get the product ready for release. According to the usual sources familiar with the matter, the new staff might have been sought out to help Apple wrap its head around wearable computing, moving the project to the next stage of development. The timing of the hires might also imply that the iWatch won't be ready until late next year. Of course, if you can't wait that long, you can always just make your own.
Intel may launch internet TV service using OnCue name
Intel has been open with its plans to introduce an internet-based TV service, but many of the details remain up in the air -- not the least of which is the name. However, GigaOM has done sleuthing that suggests the offering could be called OnCue. A reported shell company for Intel, Sest, has registered trademarks that include the OnCue title, a logo and a "TV has come to its senses" slogan. Simultaneously, an employee at the marketing agency OMD claims to have worked on the OnCue launch. Intel isn't commenting on the apparent discoveries, but we wouldn't count on the trademarks arriving in tandem with a product. When the company is taking a very cautious approach to entering the internet TV field, there's a chance that the names will be all we ever see.
Apple and Amazon App Store trademark lawsuit ends amicably
And just like that, the great Apple and Amazon "app store" legal tousle ended. Today, Apple was granted its request to dismiss the suit it filed back in 2011 to prevent Amazon from using the app store moniker for its Android software market. Part and parcel with the dismissal, Apple also gave Amazon a covenant not to sue, assuring Bezos and company won't have to run this particular legal gauntlet again. We aren't sure exactly what prompted Apple to finally drop the suit, but given indications that the court was inclined to take Amazon's side of things fairly early on, this resolution isn't terribly surprising. Should you wish to read the good news in legalese, we've included the court's order as the source below.
Apple files trademark for newly designed FaceTime logo
Patently Apple is reporting that Apple last week filed for a new trademark covering their newly designed FaceTime logo. Today, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple's latest trademark filing for their redesigned "FaceTime" logo. Apple originally filed for the new design earlier in the week. Due to Apple's redesigned iOS 7 UI going flat, many icons will have to be updated with the US Patent and Trademark Office in the coming months. Apple's newly designed icons in iOS 7 have come under a lot of fire, though critics of the new design were given a glimmer of hope when a report from The Next Web relayed that the icon designs in iOS 7 remain works in progress. Of the various aspects of iOS 7, the design of its icons and other visual cues are the most in flux at the moment. There are still refinements and conversations going on around them. I don't know, but would expect there to be a lot of fixes for the inconsistency we're seeing in things like gradients and design language on the home screen. The new FaceTime icon isn't the worst offender of the bunch (that might go to the new Notes app), but folks who aren't feeling the new FaceTime icon will have to get used to it. The trademark application for the icon make specific mention of the colors light green, dark green and white. Hopefully similar trademark applications for icons like the Settings and Camera app don't appear anytime soon, otherwise we might be stuck with them. While I understand that many people do in fact love the new icon designs in iOS 7, and while I also understand the "flatness" theme that underlies Apple's new design aesthetic, there's something to be said about really cool and creative icon designs that embrace a 3D perspective. As a quick example, here's an icon for Pages which, according to Patently Apple, was recently registered as a trademark. I'm not sure if I'm in the minority, but I still can't fathom how the icons below are even in the same ballpark as the Pages icon above.
Apple files application for 'iWatch' trademark in Japan
Evidence is mounting that Apple might out a smartwatch in the near future after Yahoo Japan noticed that the company applied for the "iWatch" trademark in Japan on June 3rd. Our Japanese editor noticed that several other companies have applied for that term as well, though this one (released on June 27th) is from Apple Inc. of Cupertino. That follows a patent application from Apple we saw earlier in the year for a watch-like AMOLED device that proposed a slap bracelet, kinetic energy charger and "end-detection" user sensor, among other features. In addition, other rumors from Bloomberg back in February suggested that 100 Apple employees were working on a smartwatch of some kind. If we don't see a device after all that, Cupertino's gone to a heck of a lot of trouble for nothing. Check after the break for a screen grab (in Japanese) of the trademark application. Update: As it turns out, Cook and Co. have applied for the "iWatch" trademark in Mexico and Taiwan too. A Russian newspaper claims that Apple has also filed for the trademark in the country, but the official paperwork hasn't surfaced quite yet.
BSkyB wins trademark case against Microsoft over SkyDrive name
While many can tell the difference between Sky TV services and Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage, that's not necessarily true for everyone. A British court certainly thinks there's room for confusion: it has ruled that SkyDrive infringes BSkyB's trademarks on the Sky name in both the UK and the European Union. The presiding judge didn't believe that Microsoft's use of the "sky" prefix was absolutely necessary, and she showed evidence that at least some of the general public didn't understand which company made what. Microsoft says it plans to appeal the verdict, although there's no guarantee that it will have to relabel SkyDrive if the appeal falls through. Some past trademark lawsuits have led to fines instead of name changes, and we suspect Microsoft would rather pay out than lose brand recognition across a whole continent.
Apple trademarks new FaceTime logo, settles on green
There's certainly been a lot of brouhaha surrounding the new design language Apple introduced for iOS 7 at WWDC. Some (ourselves included) feel it's modern and fresh while others loathe the brighter palette and simpler, flatter icons. A lot can change between now and the launch of iOS 7 this fall, but if Apple's recent trademark filing is any indication, FaceTime's new logo / icon -- which consists of a stylized white video camera inside a rounded-off green square -- fits squarely (ahem) within the aesthetic we saw on stage in San Francisco. Of course, companies often trademark logos, so we can't really say this comes as much of a surprise, either. If you're curious where Jony Ive might have found his inspiration for the pastel colors and thin lines showcased in iOS 7's iconography, check out Otl Aicher's design work for the 1972 Olympics in the "more coverage" link after the break.
'Shaq Fu' trademarks join Shaquille O'Neal's 'Shaqfighter'
Shaquille O'Neal's licensing company, Mine O' Mine, registered four gaming-centric trademarks for "Shaq Fu" on May 31, following the company's trademark for "Shaqfighter" earlier that month. The Shaq Fu trademarks cover the gamut of electronic software and related goods, including "action skill games," bobble-head dolls, television programs and printed materials. Shaq Fu already exists as that 2D fighting game from 1994 – but we'd be just fine forgetting that one completely and starting fresh with whatever Mine O' Mine has planned.
Microsoft trademarks 'Forzavista'
Microsoft has filed a new trademark for the word "Forzavista." Using our detective-like intuition, we've determined it probably has something to do with the Forza Motorsport series, possibly something that will be revealed during tomorrow's "Xbox Reveal" event. Further speculation points to a renaming or expansion of the series' "Autovista" feature, which allows players to get up close and personal with many of the game's cars (including Halo 4's Warthog). Okay, so it's not so much speculation as it is exactly what's described by the trademark itself. Specifically, the trademark refers to "A feature of interactive video game software which allows players to obtain statistical information of internal and external features of a vehicle and to virtually navigate and operate those vehicles." Be sure to tune into Joystiq on Tuesday, May 21, for more live coverage of Microsoft's event than you can shake a stick shift at.
