Stick Sports Ltd. suing app developers! (for using the word stick)

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by Heavystar, Feb 3, 2011.

  1. Heavystar

    Heavystar New Member

    Jan 11, 2011
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    #1 Heavystar, Feb 3, 2011
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2011
    Stick Sports Ltd. suing app developers!

    Recently we and a few other developers got mail from Stick Sports Ltd. lawyers. They force you to remove your application if you use the word "Stick" in its title because they have a trademark for "Stick", at least in UK.

    Any other developers affected by this?

    How is it possible to trademark such a simple plain word. And what a bad move from a company just entering the iphone market.
     
  2. Pawtklok

    Pawtklok Well-Known Member

    Apr 16, 2010
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    Kinda ridiculous.... It's kinda like a new side hitting the market, and suing all other sodas for having the word 'cola' in the title.... Silly silly devs.
     
  3. jschidlowsky

    jschidlowsky Well-Known Member

    May 31, 2010
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    it's affecting me. I just got a notice from apple for my games stick golf, stick golf HD,and super stick golf. And they indeed are claiming infringement on the word 'stick'...

    Kind of ridiculous...
     
  4. ChrisL

    ChrisL Well-Known Member

    Dec 12, 2009
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    Montreal
  5. swishinj

    swishinj Well-Known Member

    Aug 3, 2009
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    CEO at Apple Inc.
    #317
    What are you going to change the name to? Wooden Pole Golf? How do you copyright that???
     
  6. robertsze

    robertsze Well-Known Member
    Patreon Top Tier

    Oct 20, 2009
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    Same here for 'Stick Sports : Summer Games' because of the word 'Stick'.
     
  7. swishinj

    swishinj Well-Known Member

    Aug 3, 2009
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    CEO at Apple Inc.
    #317
  8. K?!

    K?! Well-Known Member

    Nov 5, 2010
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    alea iacta est
    Not again...
     
  9. slimothy

    slimothy Well-Known Member

    Dec 5, 2009
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    I am enraged by developers doing this. First it's Lima Sky being a-holes trying to trademark Doodle. Now its these fools trademarking stick. REALLY??? There are so many apps with Stick in it. WTF?! These devs who are doing stuff like this are ridiculous. Spread the word about not to buy from them. If need be, change ur app names to Stickk or something. My god. I have one thing for devs trying to pull stuff like this. t-_-
     
  10. gwet17

    gwet17 Well-Known Member

    Jan 11, 2011
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    LOL


    Wait, this is joke, right? Right? RIGHT? Anyone?
     
  11. jschidlowsky

    jschidlowsky Well-Known Member

    May 31, 2010
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    why moved to developer forums?? people should be aware stick sports are doing this so it's discourages this kind of thing...
     
  12. heikPhone

    heikPhone Well-Known Member
    Patreon Top Tier

    Sep 5, 2010
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    Another one

    I got the same mail for "Stick Cliff Diving" they want me to remove it from the App Store. This is nothing but ridiculous, must now everybody remove his app containing the word "Stick" because Stick Sports Limited says so ? I am getting pretty angry...
     
  13. dumaz1000

    dumaz1000 Well-Known Member

    Jun 5, 2010
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    Someone oughta call EA. They'd take care of this issue real fast.
     
  14. swishinj

    swishinj Well-Known Member

    Aug 3, 2009
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    CEO at Apple Inc.
    #317
    normal members can see this developer forum.
     
  15. headcaseGames

    headcaseGames Well-Known Member

    Jun 26, 2009
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    Mobile Game Developer
    Hollywood, CA
    tired of this disappointing new "trend," I guess desperation in competition brings out the worst in people.. this is symptomatic of the "new business" that litigation has become in our society, plain and simple. If people ever tried to pull this BS 30 years ago, I think it would have just been thrown out at the start..
     
  16. TractionGames

    TractionGames Well-Known Member

    Stick Skater got hit with the same notice. To clarify, Stick Sports Ltd have the word 'STICK' in the UK as a registered trademark in 3 classes mostly covering computer games and entertainment.
     
  17. Heavystar

    Heavystar New Member

    Jan 11, 2011
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    This is ridiculous.

    We tried to contact them by mail days ago, no reply.
    You just get mail from their lawyers. There was never any direct contact.

    We posted on their forums trying to clarify this, hours later all the posts and the user account have been deleted.

    This is a threat to every new developer, someone must stop this or at least make this public to warn any developer! What a bad, bad move.
     
  18. Lightworx

    Lightworx Well-Known Member

    May 21, 2010
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    Italy
    Hey, let's trademark the word sports and sue them back :) Or even better, the letters ltd and sue every company in the UK.... Maniacal laugh!!!
     
  19. Ovogame

    Ovogame Well-Known Member

    Sep 25, 2010
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    Game Developer
    Morestel, France
    union is the key

    My suggestion: remove your app from the UK store and tell Apple that you did comply to Stick Sport request. I'm no lawyers but if you don't join toghether and attack back, you won't succeed. You should group you all toghether and defend yourself if they try to make you remove your Apps from the entire market. Individually, you might be just small sticks ;) but toghether, you are a big tronc ;) than can defend themsleves and paying for a lawyer. Sending a letter is simple, going to court is a different story, specially if you don't own the right worldwilde.

    Also, make them pretty bad press about this, with blog post, contact website and stuff so they talk about this too.

    JC
     

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