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Unceremoniously yanked from the US and UK App Stores a few weeks ago, award-winning puzzler Edge has yet to resurface. Wondering just what had happened to the FingerGaming favorite, we decided to contact developer Mobigame.
“We have legal issues with a man named Tim Langdell,†says Mobigame’s David Papazian. “If you already asked why Soul Edge (the Namco game) was called Soul Blade and later Soulcalibur in the US, you have your answer.â€
Langdell, CEO of EDGE Games, GDC 2009 speaker and Lead Game Faculty at National University, contacted Mobigame and Apple in April asking that the game be pulled. Langdell claims his company owns the worldwide “trademark†EDGE. Despite this, the game remains up in other territories.
“We have the trademark EDGE in Europe (where the game is still available),†Papazian tells FingerGaming. “And we are trying to register it in the US.â€
Currently in negotiations with Langdell, Papazian couldn’t comment on specifics, but assured us him and his partner at Mobigame are in talks with Langdell. The pair will continue to deliver updates on the game’s status via the developer’s Twitter and Facebook.
“We are doing our best to [...] put Edge on the store again without any risk,†Papazian promises.
Hey Langdell – you’re a DOUCHE! You’re abusing trademark. A game called Edge in no way competes with your company called Edge games. It’s a common word. Are you going to sue mobile providers for calling their data network EDGE? Are you going to sue Aerosmith for singing the song “Living on the Edge”? Just stop this stupidity now before you garner so much negative publicity towards your company that you end up completely screwing it over.
Why not just rename it Tim Langdell is a trademark abusing sack of cra? Catchy!
In all seriousness, how can someone trademark a generic word like edge? It’s in such common usage. I think this ridiculousness and Tim Langdall of Edge games are proof that the intellectual property system is quite broken. Why should people be able to claim ownership over words in the dictionary? Let’s go back to the days of Smith and Son or the Hudson Bay Trading Co.
Until such a time, I’m off to register Tim Games. Then, since Tim is in the gaming industry, his use of his name could cause confusion amongst consumers and this he’d best stop using it. I’d hate to have to sue.
Thank you, Tim, for continuing to make such abuses possible.
Two more things: anyone else notice that Langdell’s talks are all about flipping your IP for profit? No quality talk there!
Secondly, can we please stop referring to all of North America as the US? It’s really small-minded and annoying.
Man, I got my grump on.
@Andrew
As much as I hate this man registering Tim games won’t prevent him from using it since it’s his real name. Google the Sony Store case wherein Sony (The Corporation) tried to stop Sony (The name of the store and real name of the owner) from using its name.
Why is the GameSetWatch article which exposes him even more removed? Are you guys being pressured by this crook Tim Langdell?
Here’s a quote from the original article from the forums in Touch Arcade. Too bad he didn’t copy the whole thing.
http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=14254
JoeCucan, yeah, I’m aware of a number of cases like that. In addition to my grump, I also had my hyperbole on :)
Surely, though, even the fact that this needs to be tested in court is an indicator that the system is broken.
Interesting link. Sounds like this guy has a history of thuggish behvaiour. I wonder if he realizes how gamers will react when some dinosaur gets a game they view as innovative and creative pulled for IP he’s been letting stagnate for decades? Surely people are learning that gamers vote with their dollars like no other demographic.
Wow… I am going to trademark the word “Finger” and sue everyone who has hands!
[...] you’ve seen the various articles at TigSource and Finger Gaming and even on the IGDA forums you know what I’m talking [...]
lol, you guys are hilarious. You seriously don’t know that trademark law requires a company to take action if someone else uses their trademark? And you are blaming this guy and his company for doing what the law requires him to do? And he’s taken action, what, four times in 30 years? Compared to, what. 400 times Apple have taken action to make sure no one uses the mark Apple on a computer or MP3 player? Man you guys are so far off base attacking him for this. Mobigame were in the wrong. Get over it.
[...] Mobigame’s David Papazian (to Fingergaming): “If you already asked why Soul Edge (the Namco game) was called Soul Blade and later [...]
[...] Mobigame’s David Papazian (to Fingergaming): “If you already asked why Soul Edge (the Namco game) was called Soul Blade and later [...]
[...] Mobigame’s David Papazian (to Fingergaming): “If you already asked why Soul Edge (the Namco game) was called Soul Blade and later [...]
[...] Mobigame’s David Papazian (to Fingergaming): “If you already asked why Soul Edge (the Namco game) was called Soul Blade and later [...]
[...] Mobigame’s David Papazian (to Fingergaming): “If you already asked why Soul Edge (the Namco game) was called Soul Blade and later [...]
http://digg.com/gaming_news/Trademark_Troll_Gets_Mobigames_EDGE_Taken_Down
Digg it, let’s get this out there
[...] Up to this point it seems Langdell has made a career of profiting from other people’s work, threatening to sue anyone who so much as utters the word “edge”. He has managed to cause problems not only within the gaming world, but also in movies and other popular media. “We have legal issues with a man named Tim Langdell,” says Mobigame’s David Papazian. “If you already asked why Soul Edge (the Namco game) was called Soul Blade and later Soulcalibur in the US, you have your answer.” (Via Fingergaming) [...]
[...] gamedev, die al 15 jaar geen spel meer heeft gemaakt, op het woord "edge". lees en lach. FingerGaming Update: Edge Pulled Over Alleged Trademark Infringement – Gaming on the iPhone and iPod… Kotaku – Trademark Troll Gets Mobigames’ EDGE Taken Down – Mobigames ben eens benieuwd of hij er [...]
[...] Jonathan Glover originally uncovered the controversial reasoning behind Edge’s removal last month, leading to weeks of discussion [...]
[...] when it seemed that Edge’s long-running legal battle had finally cooled, developer Mobigame has been dealt yet another critical blow. Its acclaimed [...]
[...] Beitrag von Simon Carless, engl. [↩]vgl. Beitrag in FingerGaming Ende Mai, engl. [↩]vgl. ebd. [↩]vgl. Beitrag in Game Culture, engl. [↩]vgl. [...]
[...] FingerGaming have written about this dispute, and contacted developer Mobigame to get more information about [...]
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[...] also sad that there are individuals who make their money through threatening trademark litigation (Edge pulled over alleged trademark infringement). Craftsman alone brings up 158 live records in the US trademark database – using the name could [...]
[...] As described by David Papazian of Mobigame, back in May of this year .. “We have legal issues with a man named Tim Langdell, and if you already asked yourself why Soul Edge (the Namco game) was called Soul Blade and later Soulcalibur in the US, you have your answer.” (via Fingergaming [...]
[...] FingerGaming have written about this dispute, and contacted developer Mobigame to get more information about [...]