Futuremark responds to "Pwnage" trademark controversy

[JMakinen]

Fellow gamers,

Our purpose in filing for trademark on the name "Pwnage" is not to charge money or stop people from using the expression. That's not what a trademark is for. Instead, we want to protect ourselves from squatters (or what I call campers) - people looking to trademark the name on false pretenses, just to make a claim against Futuremark Games Studio for its use.

Jukka Mäkinen, Executive Producer, Futuremark Games Studio

[idchoppers]

So, any hint on what FGS has planned for the term?

[Marvin_The_Martian]

Thanks Jarnis for the redirect and welcome Jmakinen to this dwelling we normal people call futurmark's community discussion board.

It's still abit vague to me if pwnage could be trademarked but hey I'm no lawyer right ;)

Good luck with your plans.

[TheCoProxamolKid]

So it's not an exercise in advertisment then?

I guess that's just a bonus!

[OHP]

I still cant get my head round why you would want to register that as a trademark.

"people looking to trademark the name on false pretenses"

whats that all aboot then ?

so your gonna trademark it to stop other from using it as a trademark but what if you decide not to use it after all this flack thats getting fired FM's way

[powerarmour]

Hmm, any takers on the reply by HardOCP..? :-

MadOnion Pwns U!

This is in reference to a story that Terry posted this weekend about MadOnion, er Futuremark and it applying for a trademark on the word “Pwnage.” Futuremark let us know that Futuremark Games Studio’s Jukka Makinen had made a post in regards to this.

That is nice to know since there is no way in hell Futuremark or its gaming studios can charge you a damn thing to begin with for using a term that BELONGS TO THE COMMUNITY. There is no doubt in my mind that should even a little bit of legal resistance be given to the trademark application, that it could be defeated. Futuremark has made a business out of selling YOUR information about YOUR computers for years now. It does not surprise me that they now think they should have legal right to a commonly used word in the enthusiast and gaming communities. Their rationale of trade marking it before the “bad guys” do is bullshit on its best day. Futuremark plans to use the term in an upcoming title, it wants to protect "its property," and it is that simple. It intends to profit from this commonly used term. At least if you can’t be original, do not try to own what is community property. I am sure the uninformed at the patent office will not identify this unless the mark is disputed. So take that and “suck it down.” Maybe this makes another top 25 dumbest moments in gaming? And no, I am not going to pay John “my bitch” Romero for typing that.


And this is far from the first time we have seen Futuremark do something stupid.

http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?new...VzaWFzdCwsLDE=

(Don't shoot the messenger..!)

[eRacer]

Originally Posted by powerarmour

Hmm, any takers on the reply by HardOCP..?

Here and here.

[Dj_Lushious]

Originally Posted by JMakinen

Instead, we want to protect ourselves from squatters (or what I call campers) - people looking to trademark the name on false pretenses

Frankly, this explanation is as retarded as actually trying to trademark "pwnage."

[FrekldThunder]

Originally Posted by Dj_Lushious

Frankly, this explanation is as retarded as actually trying to trademark "pwnage."

The explanation at the top of this thread isn't particularly clear, but having read the response in the HardOCP forums, it's really not as stupid as it sounds.

[Marvin_The_Martian]

Originally Posted by eRacer

Here and here.

Good job, don't pay to much attention to the haters

It's both bringing FM and them more traffic though