Skip to main content

Publisher Take-Two files trademark claim against developer of It Takes Two

.Publishing giant Take-Two Interactive has filed a trademark claim against Hazelight, the developer of co-op adventure game It Takes TwoAccording to Eurogamer, the claim came about after the game was released in March of this year. As a result, Hazelight has abandoned trademark rights to the game’s name.

Neither Hazelight nor publisher EA has said whether this will result in a new name for the game or an adjustment in the game’s marketing plans.

Related Videos

Not long after Take-Two issued the claim, Hazelight officially abandoned the name “It Takes Two” in a statement filed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It appears as though the developer didn’t have much of a choice: According to Eurogamer, “Hazelight did not dispute it had been forced to abandon the trademark to its game because of Take-Two.”

This isn’t the first time that Take-Two has filed trademark claims. The company, which owns Rockstar and 2K, among other studios, has targeted a wide variety of business and product names that include “rockstar,” “social club” (the name of Rockstar’s multiplayer service), “mafia,” “civilization,” and others. Some of the affected organizations include a Beijing company behind the brand “Starrocks” and a music book company known as “Think Like A Rockstar.” Some companies are attempting to fight the claims, but they are few and far between.

Take-Two’s willingness to go after smaller games and companies on the expectation that they won’t contest a trademark claim from a large, powerful company is a bad look. Instead of creating unity throughout the world of games, it embroils developers in unnecessary legal battles so that Take-Two can ensure that it is the only one who will ever be allowed to use the word “Rockstar.”

Editors' Recommendations

U.K. government won’t ban loot boxes, but urges the games industry to police itself
Loot boxes in different games like Fortnite, Rocket League, PUBG, Dota 2

The U.K.'s Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) has announced that it will not enact any laws regarding loot boxes, which are common in mobile games and some console games. Instead, it's calling on the video game industry to regulate loot boxes themselves after releasing its report containing the results of its investigation into the predatory gaming element on Sunday.

Two years ago, the DCMS launched a call for evidence into the effects loot boxes may cause on children and teens, as well as their impact on mental health, finances, and online gambling. The investigation elicited 32,000 responses to a player survey and 50 submissions from game companies, researchers and third-party organizations, as well as an independent rapid evidence assessment by the Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise (InGame), which was commissioned by the DCMS.

Read more
How to set up two-factor authentication on Twitch
A gamepad is pictured as a screen displays the online Twitch platform.

Having accounts on any online platform linked to your email or other accounts comes with a risk, even on Twitch. If you don't have two-factor authentication set up on your Twitch account, you should enable it now.

Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, keeps your data safe from anyone trying to access your account and linked accounts, including hackers and platform data breaches. You also need it turned on if you want to stream on Twitch. Checking your phone for a verification code every time you log into Twitch may seem like overkill if you're just on the platform as a viewer, but you likely have your account connected to your email address, other social media accounts, and even payment methods.

Read more
Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition is under investigation again
The Blizzard Entertainment booth at Chinajoy China Digital Interactive Entertainment Expo.

Even authorities overseas are placing Microsoft's $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard under intense scrutiny. The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into the deal made between the Xbox powerhouse and the Call of Duty publisher in January.

According to a report from CNBC, the CMA released a statement saying that the investigation would "consider whether the deal would harm competition and lead to worse outcomes for consumers -- for example, through higher prices, lower quality, or reduced choice." As such, it will be collecting information from interested third parties until July 20.

Read more