EA petitions to have Edge marks canned

By Tom Bramwell Published 29 September, 2009

Tim Langdell's company under fire.

Electronic Arts has petitioned the US Patent & Trademark Office to cancel a range of registrations associated with Edge Games, Inc.

In the petition, filed earlier this month, EA's lawyers allege that Edge Games has been pumping oxygen into various filings for marks including "The Edge" by claiming they were associated with active commerce when they weren't.

There are numerous citations in the 28-page document, which seeks to have Edge Games' various trademarks cancelled.

Edge Games, of course, is the company run by Tim Langdell, who made headlines earlier this year when he tackled French developer Mobigame about its iPhone title, Edge. Last we heard they were set to do battle in court.

EA's interest stems from Mirror's Edge, which came out last year. "Since 2008, Registrant [Edge Games] has continuously threatened to file suit against EA for distributing the Mirror's Edge game on the basis of his purported 'family of registered EDGE marks'. Petitioners reasonably believe that Registrant will contest their right to use the Mirror's Edge mark," the petition noted.

Expect this one to run. Check out our in-depth report on Mobigame's tussle with Edge Games for more background.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (68) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • X201 #1 2 years ago

    So EA becomes the good guys?

    /goes for lie down

  • Tomo #2 2 years ago

    I thought this was going to be a story about EA complaining that Edge magazine's review scores were too harsh, and they shouldn't be included on Metacritic/Gamerankings!

    Oops.

    :x

  • Tomo #3 2 years ago

    EA have been relative good guys for about 2 years or so now.

  • psousa #4 2 years ago

    I thought this was going to be a story about EA complaining that Edge magazine's review scores were too harsh, and they shouldn't be included on Metacritic/Gamerankings!

    Lol, me too :p

  • Gaol #5 2 years ago

    Landell might have bit off more than he can chew this time.

  • Shikasama #6 2 years ago

    Man this is going to be good.

    Mr Langdell will be shitting his pants

  • XdarXideX #7 2 years ago

    Since when were they the bad guys? What did they ever do to the people who CHOOSE TO BUY THE SAME PRODUCT EVERY YEAR? Or is tehre some other hate crime I'm not aware of where the consumer had no choice but to deal with it?

  • b00n #8 2 years ago

    Tomo, thought exactly the same. That would've been the good old EA.. Dang, times are changing!

  • Crea #9 2 years ago

    Oh, it's ON NOW, LANGDELL!

  • Shikasama #10 2 years ago

    XdarXideX - They did sack about 600 people while claiming that they were recession proof

  • miiiguel #11 2 years ago

    "Since when were they the bad guys?"

    I also never understood that. Like Activision are now the chosen target.

  • mkreku #12 2 years ago

    Unbelievable that you can "patent" a common word! Only in America.

  • geeza2020 #13 2 years ago

    this is weird. I hate Langdell, but also strongly dislike EA. Think im gonna flip a coin to decide who to support on this one. Actually Langdell seems like more of a wanker to me. GO EA!

  • JonFE #14 2 years ago

    To be honest, when the whole "Edge-gate" (TM) thing blew off, I kind of wondered how Mirror's Edge was not affected and assumed that they had already come to an understanding. How wrong could I be! This will indeed be interesting!
    Edited by 1 at 29/09/09 @ 09:53

  • darkmorgado #15 2 years ago

    @Tomo, I thought the same thing! Lol.

    I honestly never thought I would see the day where I actually supported EA's lawyers!
    I knew the whole 'Mirrors (A game by) Edge" thing would bite that douche in the balls.
    Let's hope he finally gets brought to heel and ends up having to pay Mobigames royalties for lost earnings.

  • skillian #16 2 years ago

    They also bought up and crushed many excellent small developers.

    It's easier to become the good guys once you've made a ton of money and consolidated your company's position in the industry.

  • rotmm #17 2 years ago

    There's a magic 100+ page thread over at the IGDA (International Game Developers Association) forums that was essentially the catalyst for Tim L to have to resign from the board of the IGDA.

    This site is also good for a laugh http://chaosedge.word press.com/

  • miiiguel #18 2 years ago

    They also bought up and crushed many excellent small developers.

    It's easier to become the good guys once you've made a ton of money and consolidated your company's position in the industry.

    Either ppl want to live in a capitalist world or a commune, you can't have both, I think.

  • kipper #19 2 years ago

    @ mkreku

    He didn't 'patent' Edge, he trademarked it.
    A patent is for a device design, a trademark is for a name.

  • uzivatel #20 2 years ago

    @XdarXideX: They acquired and later closed some famous studios (Westwood, Origin, Bullfrog). This combined with their yearly re-releases (NHL PC being the worst case) made some gamers pretty angry.

  • X201 #21 2 years ago

    "Either ppl want to live in a capitalist world or a commune, you can't have both, I think. "

    The problem is, that too much capitalism results in the same effect as a commune. No choice, no innovation.

    Capitalism, but not too much capitalism
    Communism, but not too much communism
    No one ideal will solve every problem on Earth.
    Edited by 1 at 29/09/09 @ 10:07

  • anomagnus #22 2 years ago

    whats interesting is, when Tim Langdell tried to cover his ass on the IGDA boards, he claimed that he an EA came to an amicable agreement on Mirrors Edge.

    This does not sound like an amicable agreement.

  • uglygamer #23 2 years ago

    Heres the proof

    http://tt abvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=9...

  • The-Bodybuilder #24 2 years ago

    The monster has awoken the greater monster.
    And for once, we're all on the side of the greater monster, CRUSH HIM WITH YOUR MIGHTY WALLET, EA.

  • The-Bodybuilder #25 2 years ago

    @Tomo

    I'm sure the vast majority of us were thinking the same thing too. :p

  • anomagnus #26 2 years ago

    I'm sure that man is teetering on the EDGE of a nervous breakdown right now

    Boom Boom!

    (i'll get my coat, you've been a great audience)

  • menage #27 2 years ago

    I hope they wipe the floor with him. Leechy bastard with no name in actual good products.

    How the hell can you claim a perfectly normal word anyway.

  • Farfarer #28 2 years ago

    Come on EA! Take Tim down :D

  • Blerk #29 2 years ago

    Feels odd to be rooting for the 'big guys' in such a case. :-D

  • Machetazo #30 2 years ago

    Isn't this ridiculous? This one guy claims to own the word Edge, so just goes around pursuing anybody who happens to make use of it. Mirror's Edge, as a term, is perfectly in fitting with the game that took its name. Grab your copies of cross edge while you can - sigh. EA, put your best resources on this, that covert army of suited and booted, and say "fly my pretties, fly!" until Langdell's unable to call any more pathetic suits. The courts have far more important things to spend time on than this. >:(
    Edited by 1 at 29/09/09 @ 10:36

  • schnide #31 2 years ago

    YES YES YES YES YES! I can't believe I'm about to say this but..

    GO EA! How far we've come.

  • agparrot #32 2 years ago

    I've been keeping up to date with the Langdell story since a little while before the EG article, and this really is an interesting turn of events... and as some have said, one that has been speculated about by followers of Langdell's 'trademark trolling' activities.

    Well worth checking out the IDGA link, and some of the many sites now dedicated to investigating various claims made by Langdell about his products, the necessity to protect his brand identity, and his actions relating to these two things.

  • penhalion #33 2 years ago

    It's nice to be proven right :)

    I said a few months back, when all this blew up, that the trademarks for use of Edge by Langdell were not valid. Looks like the lawyer I spoke to really was on the ball. He pointed out that such common words need to be used in a very specific context and can't then be claimed to encompass every use of the word thereafter. Basically you can't have a company called Bread software and then claim to own any use of the word bread in any game or other software.

    I'm not sure where Tim Langdell was coming from given that even the likes of Apple are not stupid enough to try to stop someone releasing a game called "apple bobbing" or "hunt the apple" or "Galactic apple chase" etc. etc. No court in existence would consider those titles to be confusable with apple software in any way shape or form! The same goes for this stupid edge thing. Mirror's Edge or Galactic Edge etc. etc can't be reasonably argued to have any confusing connection to Edge software.

    It really pained me that people were giving in to Tim's demands when they simply didn't have to even acknowledge his existence with a reply. They should have just said bring it on and let him make a fool of himself in court as well as incurring court costs and any reasonable damages the court chose to award to the defendant for wasted time etc.

  • RexRunti #34 2 years ago

    I was looking at EAs claim (thanks uglygamer) and it looks like they've got a pretty damn strong case, also I half expect Mobigames, Future Publishing and Marvel to help EA's case should they need it. I bet Tim Langdell is begining to wish he didn't get a certain iPhone game pulled now.

  • Pirotic #35 2 years ago

    Oh no, I hope this doesn't result in Mirrors (a game by) Edge being cancelled!

  • spekkeh #36 2 years ago

    Like the others, I can't believe I'm feeling giddy at the thought of EA's legal team crushing down full force on a 'game developer'.

  • kangarootoo #37 2 years ago

    Great news. Really great news.

  • Darknight #38 2 years ago

    I'm glad to hear someone is finally standing up to this "trademark troll", just a shame that this probably won't be resolved until the end of next year. Especially with Langdells history of dragging things like this out for as long as possible to make it more frustrating for those trying to combat his idiocy.

  • RexRunti #39 2 years ago

    Of course dragging things out is a good way to deal with smaller developers who have no money, it won't really work with EA, especially as he will end up having to pay all his own legal costs, posibly EAs and could be done for purjery to boot. He is probably the most hated guy on the internet.

  • superdelphinus #40 2 years ago

    good lads

  • actionfitz #41 2 years ago

    hahahaha!
    fuck yeah. score +1 for EA.
    Who'd have thunk EA would become the heros of all that is fluffy and good about the games industry while Activision cheerfully plunges the depths of Satans buttcrack.
    /tongue in cheek.

    ---
    feels like an episode of WWE, EA the former bad guys are now the crowd favourite, while Activision are Allied with Vince McMahon
    /nostalgia
    Edited by 1 at 29/09/09 @ 11:36

  • superdelphinus #42 2 years ago

    "Looks like the lawyer I spoke to really was on the ball. He pointed out that such common words need to be used in a very specific context"

    that's correct in England & Wales, not sure what the position is in the US

    iirc (and it's a long time since i did any IP law) it's not that common words have to be very specific, it's that they have to be used in a way which is completely unrelated to the product they are used for

  • swisstony #43 2 years ago

    "Looks like the lawyer I spoke to really was on the ball. He pointed out that such common words need to be used in a very specific context and can't then be claimed to encompass every use of the word thereafter."

    Which is the situation we had with Black...

  • Toothball #44 2 years ago

    Nice to see someone going after a patent troll at last. And since it's EA it'd be good if they won too.

  • Eighthours #45 2 years ago

    Someone should call The Escapist, following their utterly pisspoor articles on this situation.

    The EA filing is a thing of beauty:

    Langdell's hilariously fake, mocked-up Edge magazine cover: KILLED.
    Langdell's hilariously fake, mocked-up comic cover: MUTILATED.
    Langdell's claims about his crown jewel, Bobby Bearing: DESTROYED.

    And that last couple of pages, guys.... seriously amazing. Langdell called out again and again on being a massive liar.

    Justice. Karma. Good riddance, Langdell. I can't wait to see his response.

  • IneptPercy #46 2 years ago

    I remember many years ago in the amiga days when EA where the good guys.

    Dare I say some people hate them just becuase of the power they have, but in this case if they use that power for good things then its a good thing.

  • Spekingur #47 2 years ago

    @Tomo: No, that's Activision's job now.
    EA is like The Hulk. You won't like it when it's angry. It will do the hulky-smashy thing.

    Also, you can't really have proper democracy with capitalism, especially not with corporate capitalism.

  • zedzee #48 2 years ago

    Crikey. If they stretch the name enough, they could do us a favour and sue Edge Magazine as well - hopefully, put them out of business - as they're as Nintendo biased as you can get.

  • FirewalkR #49 2 years ago

    BEHOLD LANGDELL YOU BITCH, THE MIGHT OF EA IS UPON YOU!!!

    Aaaaaah EA, how we love thee these days.

  • smernicki #50 2 years ago

    Uwe Boll should challenge Tim Langdell to one of his boxing matches

  • Fleeby #51 2 years ago

    Good on you, EA.

  • sneetch #52 2 years ago

    I think I love EA! Can you marry a corporation?

  • Artemus #53 2 years ago

    Langdell will be crushed like the parasite he is. Hurrah.

  • Redeye #54 2 years ago

    Really, really looking forward to seeing EA's attack dogs giving the grasping toe-rag a major savaging, and not before time, too.


  • smelly #55 2 years ago

    >Unbelievable that you can "patent" a common word! Only in America

    Actually it started out as an English company/trademark...

  • smelly #56 2 years ago

    "Just absolish EDGE magazine and everything to do with EDGE. Fucking shit magazine. "

    This is NOTHING to do with EDGE magazine...

    Read and learn:

    [link url=http://chaosedge.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/mock-u ps-and-cock-ups/
    ]http://ch aosedge.wordpress.com/2009/09/1...[/link]



    Edited by 1 at 29/09/09 @ 17:41

  • just4funUK #57 2 years ago

    I hope E.A actually win this one.

  • XdarXideX #58 2 years ago

    @the commentors talking to me

    Yeah I know about the lay offs and acquisitions but really... I don't see how this is a hate crime to every gamer on the planet, and why it is now fashionable amongst the geeky gaming community to say you hate EA. There are LOADS of companies, not just in the gaming industry, that perform take overs and drop hundreds of people. But unless you're directly affected, I don't see how you can be offended. Now if they sold FIFA 2009 in the box for FIFA 2010 I could unders.... oh wait.

    BTW, where was it said that they were recession proof?

  • smelly #59 2 years ago

    "He doesn't think it is."

    Well I guess it depends how you read his post.. I agree it could be read the other way.

  • septimus #60 2 years ago

    Wow. Go EA! For once.
    /shocked.

  • IP #61 2 years ago

    As I've noted elsewhere, you gotta love the new description for Racers in the Edge Games 'store' that's in NO WAY related to the EA filing:

    ---
    "RACERS"™ another Cutting Edge® game from EDGE® Games. The ultimate thrill in space racing! Release date Sept 9, 2009 for PC. PS3 following Fall 2009, other formats follow Winter 2009/ Spring 2010. Get the "Gamers Edge®" from The EDGE®!
    ---

    Note the subtle use of every single Edge mark!

    As for Bobby Bearing, it'd be pretty funny if Langdell even lost that. As far as I know, the devs claim ownership, meaning Langdell may not hold the rights anyway.

  • Sunyavadin #62 2 years ago

    BIZZARO!

  • LowEnergyCycle #63 2 years ago

    This has gotta be like EA shooting Langdell Fish in a barrel.



    Good.

  • RobotRocker #64 2 years ago

    Tim seems full of piss and vinegar now, but I imagine once they get into a courtroom or he meets EA's lawyers he will fold faster than Superman on laundry day

  • poopmonster #65 2 years ago

    Go EA.

    While I may not possess a natural affinity with the big corps, Langdell is vermin, and it's good to see evil little creeps like him put in the stocks.

  • Sar #66 2 years ago

    This fuckmuppet is finally about to have his comeuppance served on his trademark trolling ass.

    I think the SC2 trailer said it best:

    "Hell, it's about time."

  • notken #67 2 years ago

    We just got this press release sent to us. We're not going to post it, but thought it might be an interesting follow-up to this story:

    EDGE® FIGHTS BACK AGAINST ELECTRONIC ARTS: LAUNCHES “RACERS”TM GAME
    “Racers” Windows PC Game Profits To Go To Charity

    Pasadena, California – November 23, 2009 – EDGE® today announced that it has filed a Motion to Dismiss the cancellation petition filed against it’s registered EDGE trademarks by Electronic Arts in September 2009. In a desperate attempt to recover from their already lost position in the Mirror’s Edge trademark dispute with EDGE, EA filed a petition with the USPTO to cancel a number of EDGE’s family of EDGE trademarks. Showing their lost position, at the same time EA abandoned their attempt to register the trademark “Mirror’s Edge” that they had filed with the USPTO in 2007 because the USPTO had indicated it infringed EDGE’s rights. Now EDGE has filed a Motion to Dismiss EA’s cancellations and is confident its motion will be granted. This leaves EA having failed in their last-ditch attempt to avoid facing the consequences of the their infringing use of the mark EDGE.

    In a prior press statement in September, EA tried to belittle the matter saying “it might seem a small issue for EA” but the reality is that according to the Lanham Act EA is exposed for willful infringement to the tune of three times its revenues from selling the Mirror’s Edge game. Since EA has boasted sales of more than a million units of Mirror’s Edge, that potentially puts EA’s exposure north of $100 million.

    Core to EA’s last hope to win the dispute with EDGE was their baseless allegation that EDGE has no intention of releasing any new games using the EDGE mark. Unfortunately for EA, EDGE launched its latest game – “RACERS” for Windows PC – thus pulling the rug from beneath EA’s last best hope for a defense. In the very unlikely event that EDGE’s Motion to Dismiss fails, EA still has no chance of prevailing on its attempts to cancel any of EDGE’s marks.

    The EDGE® now announces that 50% of its profits from sales of its new game “RACERS” will be donated to children’s charities, children in need and at-risk children. “EDGE is excited by the extremely positive initial reactions to our new game RACERS, and is proud to announce that half of the game’s profits will go to children’s charities,” said an EDGE spokesperson.

    “RACERS” is a space racing game for Windows PC featuring both solo and multiplayer head-to-head play with up to 12 other players around the globe. Races take place on a futuristic Earth and on other planets in the solar system, on a number of race tracks each offering a different challenge. The game also features different space jets players can obtain, each with special abilities. “RACERS” has both LAN and Internet multiplayer modes, with no limit to the number of concurrent 12-player races. A PS3 version of the game is also complete and is expected to be launched soon, with Wii and XBOX360 versions following Spring/Summer 2010. To learn more, please visit [link url=http://www.edge-racers.com.
    ]http://www.edge-racers.com.
    [/link]



    © 2009 Edge Games, Inc.. All rights reserved. Edge, The Edge, and Racers are trademarks of Edge Games, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries.

    About EDGE Games:
    EDGE is a long-established developer and publisher of interactive entertainment products worldwide. It was established first as Softek in the UK around 30 years ago, rising to be a top European game developer, publisher and distributor in the 1980s. Since the mid 1990s, EDGE has been headquartered in Pasadena, California. Through license arrangements, EDGE trademarked products and services also include award winning game PCs, digitally delivered game industry news, multiplayer gaming services, comic books, and other goods and services. To learn more, please visit [link url=http://www.edgegames.com.]http://www.edgegames.com.[/lin k]

  • krisskross #68 2 years ago

    Hope this Tim and his bloodsucking company burns down to ashes!
    Trademark abuser!
    Leech!
    EA take the flesh of their bones!