ZeniMax Taking Notch To Court Over Scrolls Trademark

by Mike Bendel on September 27, 2011 @ 10:22 am


Bethesda parent ZeniMax has flexed its legal muscle over Notch’s use of ‘Scrolls’ in an upcoming trading card title, taking the famed indie developer to court. The company contests that the title is infringing on its Elder Scrolls trademark by misleading consumers.

At first, Notch made light of the situation, jokingly suggesting that the matter should be decided over a game of Quake. ZeniMax evidently doesn’t think so, opting to let judge and jury rule.

Does Notch have anything to worry about? Probably not. Very few even refer to Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series by the full title. Nine times of out ten it’s Morrowind, Oblivion, or Skyrim. The two productions also have no relation — one is a massive open-world RPG while the other is a card game. So there’s that.

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Read more: Debut The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Gameplay Trailer Is Full of Eye Candy,  New Elder Scrolls Pegged For 2010,  Bethesda Softworks Enters Into Partnership With Splash Damage,  Bethesda Parent Company ZeniMax Media Acquires id Software,  Bethesda Dates Brink, Hunted, Skyrim, Rage

Comments
january39 says:

Fair play, i often wonder how many issues could be solved over a game of MW or BF, not restricted to that genre either. GT5, NFS... Think of the money that could be saved.

September 27, 2011, 5:42 pm
hush404 says:

0_o I hope Zenimax gets laughed out of court. Honestly... they're suing over a word... it's not even a unique word or a word solely used for their title. Had they made a game called "Scrolls" and then bitched about Notche's new game then fine, but honestly.. it'd be like EA suing someone for making a game called "Effect" and claim it's infringing on their name "Mass Effect".

September 27, 2011, 7:36 pm
Trigun says:

LOLRLY?

If this succeeds I will lose hope for all rational thought in the commercial world.
September 27, 2011, 8:43 pm
eldiablov says:

If you're implying that rational thought matters in court proceedings such as these, it doesn't.

September 28, 2011, 12:35 pm
PR0fessor Burnt says:

They got balls taking on the Notch and his vast sums of money, also his mob of angry fans.

September 28, 2011, 1:52 pm
Zx30 says:

-5 respect Bethesda...

September 28, 2011, 6:22 pm
slicer4ever says:

i'd doubt it's as much of bethesda as it is zenimax.

September 28, 2011, 8:02 pm
Sektor says:

It would have been cheaper, easier and cooler for them to hire the best team of Quake players to defeat Notch's team.

September 28, 2011, 8:03 pm
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