Take-Two Interactive has been actively monitoring the usage of specific words by other brands for more than a year and a half. However, Take-Two is not the only game company that files such complaints on a regular basis.
It Takes Two
On December 1, Twitter user Ash R. noted that Take-Two has gone “on a rampage of trademark disputes.” The company claims that it owns words like Rockstar, 2K, Social Club, GTA, T2, Bully, and Mafia, and objects to their use in the names of other brands.
As a result, Take-Two has filed trademark complaints against T2Spin, Rockstar Writers, IRL Social Club, Roost R, Inside the Mafia, and many other companies and brands. It even had a dispute with Hazelight over It Takes Two before the studio abandoned its application for a trademark in March.
Of course, other game companies also have a similar practice of monitoring specific words. WTFTime highlighted a few examples after searching through the US Patent and Trademark Office database.
Electronic Arts has filed complaints against brands like Motive, Medal of War, and Battlefield of Blood. Valve had problems with Portal Fortunes, Steam Sports Summit, and Source Technology, while ZeniMax had disputes with We Prey, Scroll, and Oblivion.