King Drops ‘Candy’ Trademark in the U.S.

According to the U.S. Trademark Office, King Digital Entertainment, the developers of everyone’s favorite candy game, has abandoned its efforts to trademark the word “Candy” in the U.S. Based in Dublin, the company has made it clear that this move will not effect its interest in trademarking the word in the European market.

But why the sudden reversal in its position? In a statement to Polygon, the developers had this to say: “We feel that having the rights to Candy Crusher [as opposed to “Candy”] is the best option for protecting Candy Crush in the U.S. market.” While a bit vague, the statement isn’t too surprising. After the company filed an application for the trademark in February of last year, it was met with harsh criticism from the online community.

© King.com Limited

image via appadvice.com

This criticism reached its peak when the application was approved last month. Forums around the internet voiced the concern and vitriol of critics and fans alike. One particularly potent example came from Albert Ransom, the developer of CandySwipe, who chastised King Digital Entertainment for being aggressive with the “Candy” trademark. Other developers followed suit, coming together to host Candy Jam, which encouraged game developers to use words like “candy,” “saga,” and “scroll” in their games.

It’s hard to say whether or not King’s new stance will help or hurt both its popularity and its $500 million IPO.For better or worse, we will keep you posted.

Feature Image Via:  sfgate.com