kotaku.com — In the latest salvo in the let's-claim-credit-for-a-commonly-used-term-that-we-didn't-even-create War(TM), Finnish software company Futuremark Games Studio filed papers on February 26, 2008 to protect the trademark "Pwnage."
Mar 2, 2008 View in Crawl 4
starkesMar 3, 2008
pieces of flare.
shakbhajiMar 3, 2008
quiet down you!
bearingMar 4, 2008
I HOPE they sue.. who the hell does Futuremark think they are anyway.. putting a Trademark on an internet pwned word.
bearingMar 4, 2008
Sued
ranksurgeMar 4, 2008
If they want it that bad, maybe they should acquire "pwnage.com" first? then they can argue cyber-squatting???
blindhammerMar 4, 2008
Though I am not familiar with Finland trademark law and I am not an expert in the Madrid Protocol, this company probably can use the term. Trademarks do not require a word to be unique or originate with the company -- they generally only require that another company has not used the term in trade (this is US law). Or, more accurately, that there isn't going to be potential confusion by customers.In this regard, the company can use the mark. Origination isn't an issue. I could, for instance, create a product called "All your Base are Belong to Us" and I could probably get the mark registered today.
netownageMar 6, 2008
my website would be taken down!
naisanzaMar 21, 2008
wt heo