Warning: Copyright and Creator Names

[Godline]

I just want to get this warning out there to people, though there has been similar threads up about this kind of this. But people need to know to Google the names of their intended company/titles before releasing them.

Have mentioned this to thebackup as well, who is behind Cafe Memoria.

thebackup was going under the name Pixelsoft, which is the name of a few notable companies which have the copyright to it.

When I put up Cafe Memoria recently as an android version, Google Play services took it down under copyright issues and put a black mark against the account. So yeah, be weary and make sure that you can hold the copyright to your own studio/creator names.

[thebackup]

I'm just really shaking my head if that's the case.

Because it's "PixaelSoft", not "PixelSoft" (note the 'a'). I am well-aware that there are some companies going under "PixelSoft", which is why I chose to stylize it a bit and make it "PixaelSoft".

I'm not even sure if they noticed that I intentionally spelled it that way.

[Godline]

Oh no!
I must have flagged it because I spelt it Pixelsoft! (*shamefaced *)

Anyway, its a good lesson for everyone and hopefully we can get it fixed on Google play.

[Karl_C]

Because it's "PixaelSoft", not "PixelSoft" (note the 'a'). I am well-aware that there are some companies going under "PixelSoft", which is why I chose to stylize it a bit and make it "PixaelSoft".

I'm not even sure if they noticed that I intentionally spelled it that way.

Be careful with this. 'PixelSoft' seems to be a registered trademark.

Under the trademark act, it's also forbidden to use similar names (if confusion is given).

Example: I won't be allowed to use the name 'Mercedes-Bento' for a game (as Mercedes-Benz sells software too), but I would be allowed to open a japanese restaurant under this name (as far as I don't use the 'Mercedes star' as my logo, of course).

You can run into serious problems with this, as big companies have their own, underemployed lawyers. If you search the internet, you can find many examples where even small open source software projects had to change their name, because companies filed complaints against them.

[PyTom]

Remember that trademarks - except for world-famous ones - tend to be in one business area. For example, there is Apple (the computer company) and Apple Records (aka the Beatles). So if you haven't heard of the company, and they're not in games and software, you are probably safe.

[Chibi Subaru]

It's also a good idea to search the USPTO or your country's copyright and trademark sites. Some things can be trademarked that aren't on the market yet or can't be easy to find through google, so it's a good idea to do a copyright/trademark search. Doing the search on USPTO is free.

USPTO: http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-applica ... k-database

[Karl_C]

Remember that trademarks - except for world-famous ones - tend to be in one business area. For example, there is Apple (the computer company) and Apple Records (aka the Beatles). So if you haven't heard of the company, and they're not in games and software, you are probably safe.

Wikipedia, 'Apple Corps v Apple Computer':

Between 1978 and 2006 there were a number of legal disputes between Apple Corps (owned by The Beatles) and the computer manufacturer Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) over competing trademark rights. The High Court of Justice handed down a judgment on 8 May 2006 in favour of Apple Computer, but the companies did not announce a final settlement until 5 February 2007.

I guess that Apple Computer and Apple Records had enough funds for lawyers and court fees, but a private citizen or small business owner can run into serious financial problems if accused of trademark infringement (even if he/she is right)...