Legal Battle Erupts Over Stellar Blade Trademark
In the world of gaming, legal battles over names can get quite intense. A small film production company called Stellarblade is suing Sony and Shift Up over the use of the name "Stellar Blade" in this year's hit action-adventure game. This might sound like one of those opportunistic cases, but there's more to it. Let's dive into the details.
What's the Issue?
Griffith Chambers Mehaffey, the owner of Stellarblade, claims that the game's name change from "Project Eve" to "Stellar Blade" has severely impacted his business. He noticed a significant drop in his Google ranking, which he says has cost him a lot of money and put his business at risk.
Mehaffey's company has been around for 14 years, and he registered the domain www.stellarblade.com in 2006. However, he didn't register his trademark until after the game changed its name in 2022. This timing has made his case a bit shaky.
The Legal Battle
Trademark law can be boring and tedious, but it's crucial for protecting a brand's identity. If a company doesn't defend its trademark, it can lose the legal right to it. This is why Mehaffey is taking action against Sony and Shift Up.
Mehaffey's case includes claims that his company's logo is confusingly similar to the game's logo. However, the logos look nothing alike. This echoes the years of trolling by Tim Langdell, who tried to own the word "Edge."
What Does Mehaffey Want?
According to IGN, Mehaffey's injunction asks that Shift Up and Sony be prevented from using "Stellar Blade" or any similar name. He also wants all materials with "Stellar Blade" on them to be handed over so he can destroy them. This request seems quite extreme and unlikely to happen.
Key Points
- Mehaffey's business has been impacted by the game's name change.
- He didn't register his trademark until after the game's name change.
- He claims the logos are confusingly similar, but they look nothing alike.
- He wants Sony and Shift Up to stop using the name and hand over all materials.
The Bigger Picture
While the SEO damage must hurt, it's also possible that owning stellarblade.com has brought more traffic to Mehaffey's website. The publicity from this story means more people now know about Stellarblade, the film production company.
We've reached out to Mehaffey to ask about his motivations and intentions. Stay tuned for updates on this intriguing legal battle.
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