Mobigame slams Langdell, Edge

By Robert Purchese Published 22 July, 2011

"Cynical attempt to generate sympathy."

Mobigame CEO David Papazian has responded via Eurogamer to the statement made last night by Edge Corp., the company run by Tim Langdell.

He called Edge's defence a "cynical attempt by Tim Langdell to generate sympathy".

Edge's statement painted Future Publishing (owner of Edge magazine) as the villain. Apparently Future paid Edge $275,000 in 2004 to acquire worldwide print rights to the trademark Edge. In return, Edge guaranteed it would "take action" against any third parties using the word Edge in relation to video games. If Edge didn't make good on this promise, the $275,000 fee would need returning "along with other extreme penalties".

This "sizable [sic] pressure" led to the case against Papazian's Mobigame and its iPhone game Edge.

"Edge never wished to enter into a dispute with fellow Indie developer Mobigame, but was required to do so by Future," declared Edge, which was apparently first made aware of Mobigame's Edge iPhone game by Future Publishing. Cue a lengthy and well publicised war of words between Edge and Mobigame.

But now that Future agreement has been "terminated", Edge Games wants to get back on good footing with Mobigame.

"Edge hopes and trusts that now the requirement on it to take action against Mobigame has ended with the Future agreement being terminated, that Mobigame and Edge may commence amicable relations," the statement read. "Edge has extended the olive branch to Mobigame’s David Papazian and not yet had a response."

"We have no connection to Edge games (and we don't want one)."

David Papazian, CEO, Mobigame

But Papazian has snubbed the offer of an olive branch, and the suggestion that Edge games is promoting Mobigame, and told Eurogamer that Tim Langdell will "probably be put in jail" for his current appeal against a Future lawsuit.

"We have no connection to Edge games (and we don't want one)," wrote Papazian. "We believe this is a cynical attempt by Tim Langdell to generate sympathy for his court case.

"He will try to use the argument 'Future made me do it' for his appeal against the Future lawsuit.

"We are certain that he will lose again, and he will probably be put in jail.

"Furthermore," Papazian added, "we sent a DMCA notice to the company hosting his website, because he has no right to use our company name or our games names, which are protected by the trademark law."

Mobigame has also sent a cease and desist letter to Apple to get Edge Games' Edgebobby2 game - a sequel to Bobby Bearing - removed from the App Store.

"We are certain that [Langdell] will lose again, and he will probably be put in jail."

David Papazian

"This game infringes Robert Figgins' copyright (Robert & Trevor Figgins created Bobby Bearing back in the 1980s, and they own the copyright on this game since Langdell's UK company was closed into liquidation in 1990)," Papazian explained. "This game also infringes Future Publishing's logo, our trademark EDGE, and confuses our fans."

Edge Games told a different story: "Apple has informed Edge that Mobigame had filed a complaint apparently stating that Mobigame owns the sole right worldwide to the word Edge. This came despite the fact that Mobigame's application for Edge in the US still not being approved for publication, and despite both Edge and Mobigame owning UK rights in the same mark (along with Future).

"Given how severely Edge and Tim Langdell were pilloried when people thought Edge was claiming sole rights to the word Edge, it is hoped Mobigame doesn't pursue this claim to owning the word Edge to the exclusion of Edge's 27 years of use of Edge/The Edge," concluded Edge.

Edge Corp. is appealing against Future's court victory that will see Edge's UK trademark registrations cancelled. The decision was "plain wrong" and made "in error" by a judge who was "gullible" and "did not understand technology". Edge is "confident" of "entirely reversing the first Judge's judgement" in the Appeals court.

Edge has also filed a counter-claim against Future for "damage of reputation" caused by the Mobigame case, and for Future not promoting Edge's use of the trademark as was apparently the agreement. "Edge is extremely confident it will prevail on the counter-claim."

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 10 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • hulahoops #1 10 months ago

    "Easy to play, but very hard to master, this arcade action style 3D puzzler will keep you challanged for hours."

    When is this guy going to figure out how to use a bloody spell checker?

  • jonbwfc #2 10 months ago

    Thing is you see, someone else has the trademark for 'challenged'.

  • darleysam #3 10 months ago

    Wow, the Edge Games websites are awkward.

  • Manic_Miner #4 10 months ago

    The Pasadena fire brigade were called to the home of Tim Langdell, where a man was found with his pants on fire.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #5 10 months ago

    "Given how severely Edge and Tim Langdell were pilloried when people thought Edge was claiming sole rights to the word Edge, it is hoped Mobigame doesn't pursue this claim to owning the word Edge to the exclusion of Edge's 27 years of use of Edge/The Edge," concluded Edge"

    So Edge, Edge and Edge have the right to Edge now, but Edge are suing Edge for using it now, after Edge sued them over Edge before, because they say Edge made them do it?

  • Golgo #6 10 months ago

    Langdell really should keep his head well below the parapet now. The recent court case saw him being called - to all intents and purposes - an out-and-out liar and/or fantasist by the judge. He's lucky to have gotten away without being counter-charged for fraud or indeed perjury, which I believe the judge was hinting at. I'm beginning to wonder whether he might not, in fact, be insane, and in need of help? Quite seriously. In which case he needs to be hauled off, not only for the sake of the (howsoever similarly hypocritical and shitty) game development company that he's attempted to extort, but also for his own sake.

    EDIT: Mobi-Games, counter-claims.
    Edited by Golgo at 22/07/11 @ 16:55

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #7 10 months ago

    So wait now Mobi games is claiming sole rights to the word Edge?

    what a mess.

  • neilka #8 10 months ago

    Has anyone contacted The Edge for his opinion?

  • riceNpea #9 10 months ago

    i've put this article in the couldn't give a flying fuck bin.

  • Golgo #10 10 months ago

    'Edge' isn't such a great word anyway guys. 'Felch', now that's a great word! And 'Ream'. Just don't any of you go thinking of starting up a FelchGames or ReamGames or ReamTech or DigiFelch, etc., or I'll pre-emptively sue you anytime between the moment of posting and beyond the grave. Citing this post as proof. Which I've saved and copied to a five and quarter inch floppy disk. Several of them, in fact. One in America.

  • EugenesLair #11 10 months ago

    Extended an olive branch? More like hitting you in the head with an olive trunk.

  • glaeken #12 10 months ago

    I am kind of surprised anonymous have not gone after the Edge web site. That is one target they could hit that no-one is going to have any problems with.

  • riceNpea #13 10 months ago

    ''Edge' isn't such a great word anyway guys. 'Felch', now that's a great word! And 'Ream'. Just don't any of you go thinking of starting up a FelchGames or ReamGames or ReamTech or DigiFelch, etc., or I'll pre-emptively sue you anytime between the moment of posting and beyond the grave. Citing this post as proof. Which I've saved and copied to a five and quarter inch floppy disk. Several of them, in fact. One in America.'


    i've just started up GolgoLovestoReamandFeltchforFreeGames. see you in court.

  • ColinSchmolin #14 10 months ago

    All this over one word.

  • eisenhorn666 #15 10 months ago

    All this talk about Edge, what is Christian upto these days :)

  • agparrot #16 10 months ago

    This thing that Langdell is saying, that it is Future Publishing behind his litigious fervour, that can't be true, can it?

    Also, EDGE Magazine paid him $275,000.

    Fucking Hell.

  • Golgo #17 10 months ago

    @riceNpea:

    'LMAO'

    ^ hope you haven't copyrighted that!

  • PaulieWaulie #18 10 months ago

    Post deleted at 13:34:01 08-05-2012

  • theonomous #19 10 months ago

    This Langdell stuff is always comedy gold.

  • Slipstream #20 10 months ago

    Lady Gaga is next. Such is the fate of one who sits on the 'Edge' of glory.

    I'd love to see him actually try that.

    I'm beginning to wonder whether he might not, in fact, be insane, and in need of help? Quite seriously. In which case he needs to be hauled off, not only for the sake of the (howsoever similarly hypocritical and shitty) game development company that he's attempted to extort, but also for his own sake.

    I've often thought this when reading some of his responses. He is dead certain that he's doing no wrong and is totally in the right, he can't see his world crumbling before him...that's WAY past dyslexia.

  • Smoped #21 10 months ago

    "Mobigame has also sent a cease and desist letter to Apple to get Edge Games' Edgebobby2 game - a sequel to Bobby Bearing - removed from the App Store."

    I can only imagine how great sending that letter must have felt for them.

  • Smoped #22 10 months ago

    I remember there was an article about the patent biz in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. This was all new to them so enterprising people managed to patent stuff like bottles and nails. Tim Langdell always reminds me of that article.

  • tomjoadsghost #23 10 months ago

    I think i'm just as sick of mobigame as i am of langdell actually, it would have been perfectly possible for them to change the name of their game to 'turbo rim master' and then the whole business would have been over in a couple of months.

    But then i suppose they wouldnt have had a trillion years of media attention and free adverstising i suppose.

  • tinyspark #24 10 months ago

    Never before has the word "cunt" been so intrinsically linked to one person.

  • Ashcroft #25 10 months ago

    Stop saying Edge in there.

  • Weezer #26 10 months ago

    "The decision was "plain wrong" and made "in error" by a judge who was "gullible" and "did not understand technology". Edge is "confident" of "entirely reversing the first Judge's judgement" in the Appeals court."

    Actually, the judge understood technology better than you did Langdell, you devious, scheming cunt.
    Edited by Weezer at 22/07/11 @ 22:24

  • penhalion #27 10 months ago

    Ok this is getting silly. I'm fairly certain that if MobiGames is indeed now trying to claim exactly what Langdell was almost put into jail for not a few short months ago then their popularity is about to drop like the proverbial A-Bomb. Did they not see what EA did to langdell to defend mirrors edge? Were they not paying any attention to the president that was set in that you can only claim for the exact name not some derivative of it! Jesus this is just stupid

  • DrStrangelove #28 10 months ago

    I wonder when the first game comes with a Langdell-like miserable business villain.

    I also wonder why he didn't sue Dell yet.

  • Poggins #29 10 months ago

    I'll be 100% honest, I'm not sure if 'edge' is even a real word any more...
    Edited by Poggins at 22/07/11 @ 23:24

  • IP #30 10 months ago

    "Actually, the judge understood technology better than you did Langdell, you devious, scheming cunt."

    Quite. Judging my Walker's write-up, the judge not only had an excellent grasp of technology, but fully understood when Langdell was trying to bullshit his way through things, such as with the mysterious dates on his disk with the logo that Future Publishing didn't actually steal from him.

    As for Mobigame, I think they're just lashing out, although one suspects it would have made more sense for them to chill a bit.

  • Duallusion #31 10 months ago

    "Given how severely Edge and Tim Langdell were pilloried when people thought Edge was claiming sole rights to the word Edge, it is hoped Mobigame doesn't pursue this claim to owning the word Edge to the exclusion of Edge's 27 years of use of Edge/The Edge," concluded Edge."

    W... what?

  • Kami #32 10 months ago

    Power. It's funny what it does to people.

    *sigh*

  • Ikaros_O #33 10 months ago

    If I'm not mistaken, Edge also said they'd win in the counter claim against EA. Saying they had the 'evidence' to back 'em up.

  • IonOnion #34 10 months ago

    @Ikaros_O
    "Fabricated evidence" you should say as its Langdells M.O..

  • Mister-Wario #35 10 months ago

    Anyone here actually played Edge? It's a great game. Slightly off-topic but I saw the title and thought "wow, I love that game!"

  • CatWeazle #36 10 months ago

    Langdell has been a nasty little shite since the 80's. Many people will be glad to see he's getting his comeuppance!

  • Cigol #37 10 months ago

    My mind is full of fuck reading this.

  • ShiroBen #38 10 months ago

    Wait a minute. If what you're saying is true, then I still don't care.

  • DarthMartious #39 10 months ago

    @neika

    Hilariously, Langdell has claimed in the past that he and "The Edge" have come to an understanding :)

  • tossum #40 10 months ago

    The word "Edge" has been used 90 times on this page (including that one just then). Thought you might like to know.

  • gruntboy #41 10 months ago

    This article gets the award for Most Uses Of The Word Edge In An Article. My head is spinning. >.