Edge Games files new lawsuit against EA
Tim Langdell seeking Mirror's Edge injunction and damages
Edge Games' latest target for litigation is Electronic Arts. Owner and former IGDA board member Tim Langdell is once again attempting to assert ownership of the word 'edge', this time claiming that EA's 2008 title Mirror's Edge constitutes trademark infringement.
The dispute has gone on for some time, Langdell having claimed he filed a cease and desist order back in 2007, and EA unsuccessfully petitioning for a trademark cancellation last year.
Langdell is something of a bęte noir in the games industry, having issued take-down threats and litigation to a number of unwitting developers - despite releasing no games from his own company for 16 years.
The trademark infringement suit against EA was filed in Northern California by the Lanier Law Firm, on behalf of Edge Games. It claims wilful infringement and unfair competition, and seeks both damages and an injunction against further usage of the title 'Mirror's Edge.'
Langdell claims EA did not respond to his original cease and desist letter, and went on to release Mirror's Edge despite having a US trademark for that title refused due to its use of 'Edge.'
While Langdell's repeated attempts to force a name-change on independent developer Mobigame's iPhone title Edge ultimately proved unsuccessful - the title finally returned to the App Store under its original name last month - this new action may endanger EA's planned release of a sequel to Mirror's Edge.
For more on the strange history of Edge Games, please read GamesIndustry.biz's investigation from last year.
Got to love that quote. I've lost count of the amount of times 'Activision' has featured in my day-to-day conversations
I would love EA to make a game called, Edge Game and get away with it.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Kingman Cheng on 17th June 2010 10:25am
I can't wait for the day when this conman's balloon deflates.
Like making games?!
No, sorry; that's a ridiculous suggestion.
Edgegames.com looks like an electronics retrail site from the late 80s.
Let's hope EA does not waste time trying to go around him with an alternative trademark. A judge is going to have to invalidate his idiotic claim. Now is the time to crush this fool. He's been booted off the IGDA board because of his antics, let's hope this time he gets shut up for good.
Christopher - "How has this guy managed to maintain a trademark he does not use legitimately on a common word?"
It's ridiculous, isn't it? Surely the relevant authorities in the UK & US can see that Edge Games don't actually have a business model except by licencing out their questionably-obtained trademark for other companies to use. As Kingman pointed out above, their website looks awful - I know a little about basic HTML coding, and in a couple of weeks I could probably put something together that looks more professional than that.
some people really are a lil too paranoid. this tim guy definetly has some delusions of grandeur. if his company were a household name maybe people would think mirror's edge was by his company, but it's not. and lets face it: how many EA logos are plastered across the game anyway?
beyond that though, i'm sure there's something about having a trademark on commonly used words in the english language. i mean imagine if someone managed to trademark the letter "e"...
really hope EA can knock him down a notch or two
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Michael Abraham on 17th June 2010 7:25pm
This makes me very sad, so clearly either he is lying or these companies are funding him with token gesture to get them out of there hair.