Games

King withdraws U.S. trademark application for "Candy"

posted by Alan F. / Feb 25, 2014, 7:58 PM

King withdraws U.S. trademark application for

King, the game developer behind the wildly popular Candy Crush Saga, has withdrawn its controversial trademark application in the U.S. for the word "candy". It continues to seek a trademark for the word "saga". The developer also will not give up the trademark it was awarded for the word "candy" in the EU. In a statement, King says that it will "continue to take all appropriate steps" to defend its intellectual property.

When King announced that it was going to file a trademark application in the states for the word "candy," it created quite a stir in the U.S. A web site called Candy Jam got independent developers to create as many games using the name candy as possible, in protest. More than 450 titles were created.

Despite the bad rap that King received from trying to turn a widely used word into an asset, the company is on track to go public. As we already told you last week, the developer is seeking to raise $500 million via an IPO. The company will have its shares traded on the NYSE under the symbol KING. To show you how profitable a hit mobile game can be, Candy Crush Saga was responsible for revenue of $1.88 billion in 2013, which generated profits of $568 million. The one game made up 78% of King's revenue last year.

The company hopes that it scored a public relations coup on Tuesday by withdrawing its request to trademark the word "candy" in the states. The application to withdraw the original filing can be seen below.

Game developer King withdraws filing in the U.S. to trademark the word candy

source: USPTO, Kotaku via Pocketlint

Options

20 Comments

1. ocilfa

Posts: 334; Member since: Aug 03, 2012

When it comes to candy crush, there's nothing "intellectual" about that property.

posted on Feb 25, 2014, 8:05 PM 17

2. NexusKoolaid

Posts: 493; Member since: Oct 24, 2011

Best post of the day.

posted on Feb 25, 2014, 8:35 PM 1

3. Beijendorf unregistered

That King think they scored a PR coup by withdrawing one of their obtuse patent applications for a widely used word is like thinking people regard Osama bin Laden a hero for not brutally murdering more innocent civilians than he did.

posted on Feb 25, 2014, 9:53 PM 1

4. StraightEdgeNexus

Posts: 3689; Member since: Feb 14, 2014

Candy crush saga this game is for 4th grade kids.

posted on Feb 25, 2014, 10:38 PM 1

5. corporateJP

Posts: 2458; Member since: Nov 28, 2009

Good luck with all that egg on your face, King... Maybe you can trademark "fail" next?

posted on Feb 25, 2014, 10:53 PM 0

6. Sniggly

Posts: 7305; Member since: Dec 05, 2009

King is a company of assholes, as highlighted by the fact that they copied their game from an independent developer whose game is called "Candyswipe," then proceeded to try to stamp out his rights to his game.

posted on Feb 25, 2014, 11:05 PM 1

7. StraightEdgeNexus

Apple fanboys love these kind of games. Candy crush saga, puke machine, fart machine are their favorite grossing apps.

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 2:29 AM 0

8. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Like android fans don't

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 6:18 AM 3

12. mrblah

Posts: 577; Member since: Jan 22, 2013

Android fans love simple games, like putting a ball in a hole, one at a time, all the same, nice and easy, not to fast, not too scary. If that gets old after a few weeks you can just cram that pos "smart"phone in your sister.

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 8:38 AM 0

14. corporateJP

You guys are dorks.

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 11:25 AM 0

9. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Trademarking something generic is ridiculous.

10. Sniggly

Says the Apple fanboy.

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 6:27 AM 1

13. corporateJP

LOL...Mxy owned by Sniggly...

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 11:24 AM 1

16. Mxyzptlk unregistered

He didn't own me. He used a 3rd grade insult.

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 1:30 PM 0

15. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Says the Motorola fanboy.

18. Sniggly

You can't just throw my "3rd grade insult" back at me because it doesn't make sense. Apple patented rounded rectangles and other stupidly generic ideas. Motorola patented specific technologies that took billions in research dollars to come up with.

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 4:45 PM 0

19. Mxyzptlk unregistered

Uh huh. It makes perfect sense. You're just not understanding it.

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 7:54 PM 0

20. Sniggly

That's what the heavily religious say all the time. No, it doesn't make sense.

posted on Feb 26, 2014, 9:38 PM 0

11. androiphone20

Posts: 1654; Member since: Jul 10, 2013

I'm a bit skeptical about this company going public, I mean look at Twitter's IPO, these blokes had to find a way to monetize the platform and we were constantly treated to a series of redesigns. What makes it harder for King is that games can easy grow to become a fad. The worst that could happen is the game's userbase shrinking down the road.