Sony Tries to Trademark the Phrase “Lets Play”
Sony might be upsetting gamers right now, according to a post by a NeoGAF user, Sony is actually trying to trademark the phrase”Lets Play”; according to the post, Sony has been trying file for the trademark since October 2015 and it means to represent “electronic transmission and streaming of video games via global and local computer networks; streaming of audio, visual, and audiovisual material via global and local computer network”.
As some of you may know, Lets Play is a widely use phrase by game streamers and You tube gamers to name their content, it is unclear if Sony is trying to prevent those users to use the word or charge them a fee in order to use them. Obviously this has caused some backlash from the gaming community as let’s play is a popular term used by YouTubers, and other video content creators who play video games while commenting on it at the same time.
According to an article by PlayStation Lifestyle. the latest update from the United States Patent and Trademark Office reveals that Sony is unlikely to gain ownership of ‘Let’s Play,’ with a non-final action sent to the platform holder on December 29. That leaves Sony with a six-month window (June 29) to readjust its application or abandon it all together.
This has not been the first time big companies have tried to trademark commonly used words, for instance, Candy Crush Saga publisher “King” tried to file a trademark for the words “Candy” and “Saga”, this caused a backlash so big that the publisher eventually decided to abandon the filing for that trademark, so hopefully Sony decides to abandon their intention to trademark such a widely used word by gamers and content creators.
Source – Playstation Lifestyle, NeoGAF
