Trademark Shenanigans...

I'm surprised this hasn't been all over Metafilter, or at least posted about at some point. This guy Langdell has been suing everyone who doesn't license the word "edge" from him, in regards to video games, for like thirty years. He has a 'publishing' company that hasn't actually published anything in a decade (at least) and exists solely to sue people for making things edgy. Eurogamer has a nice feature describing what sort of brought it to people's attention here. This guy has since gotten obsessed and been meticulously documenting evidence that everything Mr. Langdell says is completely and utterly false, which makes for amusing reading.

Recently, a bunch (or at least a handful, which is presented as being something like a movement by the only blog worth reading (RPS) :) ) of independent game developers have jokingly renamed their games in support of the latest indie developer to be targeted by Langdell and have their app removed from iPhones. To quote RPS:

Remember Fez? It’s now Fedge. Tyler Glaiel’s Closure is now named Closure: on the EDGE of reality™. The forthcoming iPhone game Critter Crunch is henceforth referred to as Critter Credge. And the enormously enjoyed Canabalt is now called Canabedge. Although Atomic Edge Games aren’t too pleased about it all. Other new games have been announced including Ted Marten’s Edgeward McEdgington, Secret Exit promises to bring us LEDGE, Steph Thirion’s Eliss declares a sequel, Edgeliss, Tyler Glaiel is back with a new game, Edgeform: On The Edge Of Insanity, and there’s rumours of a new game from Dejobaan, EeeeeEEeeeEEEeeEEEEeEEEEEdge! A Feckless Disregard For Poopieheads.

More amusing (to me, anyways), is that as per that blog I linked above, Langdell has expanded his operations to include selling SD cards and flash drives in order to prop up a suit against Edge Tech Corp, a company that sells memory and has nothing to do with video games, for infringing on his trademark.