Electronic Arts has withdrawn a trademark application it filed for an unannounced property called “Ghost” last week, possibly to avoid a legal dispute with Ubisoft, which claimed the filing would infringe on a copyright of its own. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Electronic Arts relinquished its claim on the trademark, which would have covered an “on-line computer game.”

Ubisoft filed a request in January asking the office to deny the application because a video game called “Ghost” might cause confusion among consumers when compared to Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon franchise. According to Ubisoft’s dispute, the product EA called “Ghost” would be “identical and highly related to the goods and services offered by [Ubisoft] in connection with the GHOST RECON marks.”

Electronic Arts’ withdrawal comes less than a week before the March 9 deadline for Electronic Arts to “respond” to the complaint, at which point the dispute might have gone to court, if the two publishers were unable to negotiate an amicable solution themselves. The company initially filed the trademark for the game, as well as a second for media related to the property, in March, 2015.

Video game publishers’ preference for short, broadly evocative titles has led to a few odd trademark battles over the years. Candy Crush: Saga developer King pursued legal action against indie developer Stoic over the use of the word “Saga” in their norse-themed strategy game, The Banner Saga. Similarly, The Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda sued Minecraft developer Mojang for making a card game called Scrolls.

Though the “Ghost” skirmish did not last long enough to earn itself a place as one of the gaming industry’s essential silly copyright disputes, it highlights how overly minimalist marketing may lead to AAA developers running out video game names before too long.

Related Posts

Your Xbox ecosystem just levelled up across every device

Gaming Copilot is now live in the Xbox mobile app (beta), offering real-time AI help for gameplay, achievements, tips, and more.

I’ve played every major Zelda game, here’s what The Legend of Zelda movie needs to get right

In terms of iconic pop culture heroes, Link is up there with Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, and Superman. While Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has proven himself capable enough to lead The Legend of Zelda's cast, adapting Link’s character for the big screen is a challenge. For much of the Zelda franchise, Link is depicted as a silent protagonist who serves as a stand-in for the player. However, that doesn't mean Link isn't a unique character. Each version of Link has a distinct story, but they are all known for their incredible courage, loyalty, and dedication to protecting the innocent. However, he has also shown many times that he can be silly, reckless, rageful, guilty, and tempted by greed. Link doesn’t necessarily have to speak in the film to appeal to audiences. However, he just can't be a one-dimensional fantasy hero. We have to see how multifaceted a person Link is as he grows and reacts to everything, carrying such a heavy burden as the Hero of Hyrule. Zelda should share the adventure with Link

PlayStation 5 can technically be a CD-player, if you’ve got a tinkerer’s heart

But a creator behind the YouTube channel Will It Work? decided to test that limit with a clever workaround. Using an unusual optical drive, he managed to trick the PS5 into reading CDs as if they were USB storage devices.