Category: Video Games

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Featured News Trademarks Video Games

“Battle of Heroes Land of Immortals” domain registration followed by Ubisoft trademark

Battle of Heroes Land of Immortals

Battle of Heroes Land of Immortals

Earlier this week, Ubisoft registered the names BattleofHeroesGame.com and BattleofHeroesLandofImmortals.com.

But it’s not just domains that Ubisoft is getting. The domain registrations have been followed by trademark filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

On December 10, 2013, the company filed two trademarks (US Serial Numbers 86139588 and 86139580) for “Battle of Heroes Land of Immortals” covering computer games.

The “Goods and Services” in 86139580 covers “Entertainment services namely providing an on-line computer game for others over global and local area computer networks and providing information on-line relating to computer games and video games”.

While 86139588 covers “Game software and electronic game programs, namely, software games recorded on CD-ROM and digital video discs for computers; software games recorded on CD-ROMs, digital video discs, and cartridges for console and individual, portable gaming systems; software games that are downloadable from a remote computer site and electronic game software for mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and handheld computers”.

While Ubisoft has made no announcement yet regarding Battle of Heroes Land of Immortals, readers suspect it may be a MOBA.

Both domain names are still parked online and offer no hints about the company’s plans.

Talking about this story: VG247, Softpedia, AusGamers, Eurogamer.it, GamePlanet, Explosion, Hobby Consolas, gameswelt.de, Gameplorer.de and Multiplayer.it

(Image of Might and Magic Heroes Online Trailer)

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Featured News Video Games

Ubisoft registers ‘Battle of Heroes’ & ‘Battle of Heroes: Land of Immortals’ domains

Ubisoft registers 'Battle of Heroes' & 'Battle of Heroes: Land of Immortals' domains

Ubisoft registers 'Battle of Heroes' & 'Battle of Heroes: Land of Immortals' domains

Who knows what is coming next from Ubisoft, but the company made some domain registrations this week that offer some details.

Ubisoft has registered the names BattleofHeroesGame.com (Battle of Heroes Game) and BattleofHeroesLandofImmortals.com (Battle of Heroes: Land of Immortals).

I wouldn’t get too excited as the company doesn’t appear to have too much invested in the yet-to-be-announced title, at least when it comes to domains.  Only the dotcoms are registered, and even more surprisingly, at the time of this story being published, LandofImmortals.com is not even registered according to WHOIS records.

That will likely change.

(Image via Might and Magic Heroes VI trailer)

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Disputes Featured National Arbitration Forum News Video Games

Blizzard’s lawyers take control of Blizzard.tv domain, is there something in the works?

Domain dispute over Blizzard.tv withdrawn, does Blizzard Entertainment have something in store?

This week, the dispute over the Blizzard.tv name (Case Number: 1528644) was withdrawn after being filed with the National Arbitration Forum back in early November.

So, the question is, were the lawyers at Blizzard Entertainment just trying to defend their intellectual property or does the company have something more planned for Blizzard.tv?

Like, say, a potential competitor to the live game streaming service Twitch.tv.

Blizzard doesn’t often file disputes, and hadn’t filed a complaint since 2011 when it won the transfer of worldoflordcraft.com.  So, why now?

Though the complainant in the Blizzard.tv dispute wasn’t officially revealed, it’s pretty much guaranteed that Blizzard Entertainment is behind it.  At the time of this story, Blizzard.tv is registered to intellectual property law firm Christie, Parker & Hale LLP – the same firm that has represented Blizzard in past disputes for names like Blizzard-North.com (Claim Number:  FA0302000146620). And since the complaint was withdrawn, the domain redirects visitors to Blizzard.com.

Often times, when a domain name complaint is withdrawn, both parties have come to an agreement.  And because Blizzard had no guarantee of winning the dispute, it’s possible the previous registrant received some type of payment.

Whether Blizzard Entertainment has something in store for the domain, is only speculation at this point. But live game streaming has become very popular and Twitch has a virtual monopoly.

Last month, Blizzard live streamed an event on Battle.net, prompting one Reddit user to say, “Blizzard should make their own Twitch”.

Talking about this story: Ubergizmo, JudgeHype, Blizz Pro and OnGamers

(Image of StarCraft II Pro Players via Blizzard.com)

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Featured News Video Games

Electronic Arts files Desert Strike trademarks

Desert Strike remake may be in the works, EA files trademark

Desert Strike remake may be in the works, EA files trademark

Electronic Arts has submitted two new trademark applications for Desert Strike with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, hinting that a remake of the popular 1992 shoot ’em up video game is in the works.

On November 25, 2013, the video game company filed the trademarks (US Serial Numbers: 86128233 and 86128236) for Desert Strike.

Desert Strike was originally released in February 1992 and involved the player piloting an AH-64 Apache helicopter.

A remake of Desert Strike may come as no surprise.  The game sold well and for its time, it was Electronic Arts’ highest ever selling game.

So far EA has made no announcement as to a remake, although, there have been many people online calling for a remake throughout the years.

On a domain note, DesertStrike.com is currently registered to Name Administration Inc. according to WHOIS records.

DesertStrike.net and other top-level domains have not been registered.

Talking about this story: GameSpot, TheSixthAxis, IGN España, IGN Deutschland, Gameplorer.de, Pixel Enemy, PC Games, IGN, IncGamers.com, Destructoid, GameStar, Newsslash, GamerZona, Blogocio.net, Eurogamer, Play3-Live, Spieletester.com Magazin, NeoGAF, 4Players Portal, AreaGames, Vandal and gameswelt.de

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Disputes Featured Video Games WIPO

Complaint Denied: Take-Two loses another domain dispute, this time over GTA.tv

Take-Two loses another domain dispute, this time over GTA.tv

Take-Two Interactive Software had a pretty good track record in 2013 when it came to domain complaints, winning more than two dozen disputes over names like gtatv.com and betagtav.com.

But lately, the company has been running into trouble. The last two rulings have not gone in the company’s favor.

Take-Two recently lost a dispute over a domain name of a fake snuff website it used to own, and now a WIPO panel has denied its complaint over gta.tv, a three-letter domain name whose acronym is often interpreted as “Grand Theft Auto”, a pretty common term these days, which Take-Two seems to think it has a monopoly on.

Details of the ruling, which was posted online today, have yet to be released.

In 2012, Take-Two trademarked the terms “GTA TV” and “Rockstar TV”.

According to WHOIS records, the domain GTA.tv is registered to iCity Corp.

(Image of Grand Theft Auto V via Rockstargames.com)