I recently created a website for my game. In my blog I called my game "Galactic Warfare." As far as I know there are no board games out there called Galactic Warfare but there easily could be one. I don't want to get sued but I also don't know what to do. Any suggestions?
Name trademark infringement?
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 17:55
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 18:07
#1
Taken... sort of
I recently created a website for my game. In my blog I called my game "Galactic Warfare." As far as I know there are no board games out there called Galactic Warfare but there easily could be one. I don't want to get sued but I also don't know what to do. Any suggestions?
The name does appear on a stub article at BoardGameGeek, but I don't see any indication of a trademark symbol in the images.
Edit: To clarify, the name of a product would be protected by a trademark... the contents of the rulebook by copyright.
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 19:46
#3
Not a lawyer... and don't even play one on TV
Do you think I can use the name then?
The publisher is still in business, based in the UK, but it looks like now all they do is sell really detailed miniatures. None of those are sci-fi.
You could try contacting them directly if you ever intend to sell in the UK, but personally I'd wait until someone with more experience in this area has a chance to jump in the discussion here.
Thu, 12/14/2017 - 12:47
#4
I'm not a lawyer, either. But
I'm not a lawyer, either. But you can't claim a common law trademark (the tm) unless you have a product you're actually selling. A (much stronger, but expensive) registered trademark (r in a circle) is searchable at the patent office.
Keep in mind also, it's country-by-country.
Do you think I can use the name then?