Filed under: Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store
App Store devs get "edge"-y as a reaction to trademark threats
The story starts with a guy named Tim Langdell, who started a company a while back named Edge Games. Since he founded that company, he has mercilessly gone after any other game company who dares to use the word "edge" in their title, claiming that he has the trademark to any and all "edge"-related gaming. He's gone after EA's Mirror's Edge and a few other titles, but the App Store has been a prime target, where he simply contacts Apple, claims the app is in violation of his trademarks, and gets apps pulled without a problem. The latest target is a title called Killer Edge Racing by a company named PuzzleKings, and reportedly Langdell has gone so far as to trademark that name, despite the fact that the game using it has been around for years.
Hence the indie game developers' "edge-volution." They aren't actually renaming their games in the store, just showing off solidarity with other developers against what they see as Langdell's wrongdoing, and getting the word out about his actions against "edge" on the App Store.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
KomputarGuy said 8:45AM on 11-13-2009
This guy just sounds like a total d-bag.
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JD said 3:08PM on 11-13-2009
The world is filled with d-bags. The challenge for the rest of us is how to structure our society to avoid being overly damaged or annoyed by their destructive behavior. The problem in this case is not just this random psycho, but how he was dealt with: by automatically acceding to his stupid demands, Apple allowed him to hurt a lot of developers, and encouraged others to behave equally stupidly. I don't blame the individual app store employees for this, of course -- the fundamental problem is the general policy, to reject apps at the slightest provocation. Given the volume that Apple deals with, I understand why such a general policy is necessary. But the downside is that idiots like this one can get away with a lot of crap before anyone can do anything about it. And that is a direct result, once again, of the monolithic control Apple has chosen to exercise.
alchemistmuffin said 8:46AM on 11-13-2009
I hope the developer knows that he is abusing app store's administrative privilages, and that Apple can terminate his contract, and ban him from not just iPhone developer program, but from accessing iTunes, and even the Apple Store.
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TIm said 9:32AM on 11-13-2009
What the hell are you even talking about? You think Apple is gonna ban people from Apple stores for pretending to rename their products? Or ban that other idiot? Anyways .. I think they are really scared by the outlook of never being allowed to enter an Apple store again .. huhu.
Izzy said 9:40AM on 11-13-2009
I think he's referring to the douchbag Langdell, not the guys showing solidarity. And exposure on TUAW will no doubt cause more support from other developers. All these guys should rename their games with edge in the title.
Tony C said 10:20AM on 11-13-2009
Langdell doesn't even have to be an App Store developer and likely isn't. He's pulled this trademark ownership crap throughout the gaming industry. A common troll.
jb510 said 10:22AM on 11-13-2009
Yes Langdell is weed and should be wanked out of Apple's walled garden... However seems to me he's doing something awfully "Apple". Apple too vigorously and quite over zealously attacks any come close to there trade marks... Perhaps developers should also start a childish campaign to insert the word apple and apples into there apps and see how Apple reacts.
Jordan said 9:12AM on 11-13-2009
What a complete douche. Maybe he should make something worthwhile for a change and make some money of his own.
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jonathan ober said 9:27AM on 11-13-2009
I have a first gen iPhone that sometimes goes on the Edge network...is he going to sue apple for that one?
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Woz said 10:20AM on 11-13-2009
He'd have to sue AT&T for that one. And I would support that one, as much as I pay a month I should never be on the edge network, not in 2009.
TIm said 9:33AM on 11-13-2009
Anyone else having trouble to get the story .. I had to read it multiple times to understand what it was about .. not very clearly written.
T.
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milkmage said 9:33AM on 11-13-2009
i don't think Langdell has made anything new in years.. i don't even think he has anything on the market right now. Tim Langdell is to games with edge in the name as Jack Thompson is to... video games. He's a one man RIAA.
all he does is sit around and file lawsuits when a new game with edge in the title is released
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDGE_Games
Edge Games has not released a new title since 1994
In May 2009, game developer Mobigame's iPhone title Edge[10] was removed from Apple's App Store in the US and the UK due to lawsuit threats by Tim Langdell. According to Mobigames, the dispute arose while they were trying to register a trademark for Edge in the US, while Langdell claims he owns the global trademark on "Edge."
According to the email dialogue between Langdell and Mobigames head David Papazian, shared with Eurogamer, Langdell delivered an ultimatum to Mobigames in exchange for a promise not to litigate. If they changed the game's name, he demanded 25% of the game's revenue for the time the title was on sale under the name "edge", and if they licenced the Edge name, they would give him 10% of the game's revenue in perpetuity and subtitle it "An Homage To [Edge Games title] Bobby Bearing", with the Edge Games logo on the title screen. Papazian claims that he suggested the alternative title "Edgy", but that this was rejected by Langdell as too similar to "Edge". Edge Games subsequently registered this name as a trademark. An Edge Games spokesperson, writing from Tim Langdell's personal email address and signing off as "Tim Langdell", claims that their registration was the result of a misunderstanding "probably in part caused by David Papazian's less than perfect English".
pic here
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-edge-of-reason
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Izzy said 9:47AM on 11-13-2009
Good info. One of these developers needs to sue him challenging his trademark. I don't believe you can trademark common words for exclusive use. Langdell probably doesn't have deep pockets so these guys needs to team up and shove it up his pooper.
The Apple trademark fight being the biggest one I can think of. But being a noun that might have been different. Any trademark lawyers out there?
Izzy said 9:55AM on 11-13-2009
More info: Distinction can be manifested through whimsy or, to put it more aptly, meaningless. A good example is Xerox, which is sheer whimsy and was utterly lacking in meaning before it became synonymous with making a copy. This is the kind of trademarkable invented word known technically as a neologism.™ If the word can't be located in any primary dictionary, then it can be up for grabs for trademarking, though the lack of a prior definition is no guarantee.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/466166/a_guide_to_trademarking_words_and_phrases.html
More interesting info on how Apple can trademark "apple": http://www.secureyourtrademark.com/2007/11/trademark-registration-of-common-words.html
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BonoBob said 12:45PM on 11-13-2009
Although Xerox is a coined word, it was not chosen arbitrarily, nor is it utterly lacking in meaning. The technology used to copy documents is called xerography, which means dry writing in Greek (dry toner is used rather than liquid ink). Xerox comes from the Greek word xeros.
Izzy said 12:01AM on 11-14-2009
I just cut and pasted it from the link, those are their words not mine.
I always use the word copy or xerox, not xerography. But I may start using it now to confuse my co-workers.
Mike said 11:48AM on 11-13-2009
The defense is simple: The developer whose app is pulled down just has to contact Apple and say that he is not willfully infringing Edge Games' trademarks. Apple has the obligation to put he app up again and the burden of proof will be on Edge Games. Edge Games cannot contact Apple to bring the app down again, what he has to do is actually sue the developer before a Court to win. These trademarks involving the term "edge" are not confusingly similar, so they have a good chance to prevail.
Anyway, contact your IP lawyer and let him tell you his thoughts on this.
:-)
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Jargon said 12:16PM on 11-13-2009
Haha, I might have to rename my Shopify app Shopedgekeeper
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Bungles said 2:37PM on 11-13-2009
maybe The Edge should sue him...or Edge the wrestler. or even Rasor Ramon....cause he used the Razors edge. Or all Razor companies cause their blades have edges. It is really confusing.
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puhsitch said 7:47PM on 11-13-2009
And if you mess with The Edge, you mess with Bono. You don't want to mess with Bono.