King.com (Candy Crush) Trademarks the word "candy"

[♪alt13]

I’ll make my position on this clear right from the get-go: No corporation should have legal rights to any word I can use in Scrabble—words like “candy” or “saga” for instance.

The very notion is crazy and dangerous, to creativity, to business, and to the very act of communicating with one another.

But that’s exactly what King, the maker of Candy Crush Saga, is trying to do.

BTW, their Trademark filing extends to clothing.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2014/01/23/candy-crush-saga-tries-to-crush-the-banner-saga-in-bizarre-trademark-saga/

 

[TroutBum]

Yo, bros, dis is the kind of thing that really screws up America, right doe??? Frickin' racialists, tbh.

 

[One Brow]

Unless the Hasborg owns King.com, they will be in for one very big legal battle. In fact, the Hasborg would probably just buy them up.

 

[♪alt13]

Unless the Hasborg owns King.com, they will be in for one very big legal battle. In fact, the Hasborg would probably just buy them up.

You have hit the nail on the head in regards to what is the problem with awarding companies these ridiculous claims. Litigation. You either have deep enough pockets or you don't. King.com has also trademarked the word "saga". They have recently challenged an indie game developer that made an rpg about vikings called "The Banner Saga". I know King.com is not the first to trademark words of common usage but I think it is a good opportunity to have a discussion about what is and isn't legitimate intellectual property.

It is my opinion that they should have never been awarded the trademark in the first place for individual words. Trademarking "Candy Crush Saga" is one thing but but staking claim to the word "Candy " or "Saga" alone and extending that to clothing is imo beyond the pale.

 

[LogGrad98]

I am planning to trademark the words "word" and "trademark".