Indie developer Randy Ficker launched web-based strategy Warzone in 2017. After Activision released Call of Duty: Warzone last year, Ficker accused the company of infringing his trademark rights. The publisher, however, denies the claim.
Activision filed a complaint in the US District Court for the Central District of California last Thursday, according to Reuters. The company claims that the creator of Warzone.com threatened to seek “massive damages” for trademark infringement.
Randy Ficker, on the other hand, said that the launch of Call of Duty: Warzone had a large impact on his business, causing “significant consumer confusion.” Activision disagrees with these claims, calling them “frivolous and irresponsible.”
“It is inconceivable that any member of the public could confuse the two products or believe that they are affiliated with or related to each other,” the complaint reads.
The whole dispute began last June, when Activision tried to register Call of Duty: Warzone and “Warzone” trademarks at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Ficker opposed the application and tried to trademark “Warzone” last October.
Activision also noted that “Warzone” is used in 16 other mobile games, and this word can be found in numerous video games that involve military combat.
The publisher is now seeking declaration that Call of Duty: Warzone “doesn’t infringe trademark rights owned by Warzone.com LLC.” According to Gamesindustry.biz, Activision is also demanding Ficker to pay it “reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.”