IbizaPocholo
NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
What's Going On With Elden Ring Trademark Might Explain Lackluster Marketing
Bandai Namco is having`a hard time getting the Elden Ring trademark finalized. Due to some unknown issue the trademark got rejected which might explain a lot.
respawnfirst.com
Elden Ring developer From Software has been suspiciously silent about its biggest game to date. Due to little to no marketing, many rumors and speculations came up including the one that pointed to the game’s cancellation. However, we found something that might explain the lack of marketing for the Elden Ring.
Bandai Namco is having a hard time getting the Elden Ring trademark finalized. The application that was filed on June 18, 2019, got rejected by the USPTO in February of 2020. The reason behind its rejection is anyone’s guess but the fact is, the trademark did get rejected for either a trademark dispute or some error in the application. Whatever the reason was it slowed down the trademark approval process and as a result, we think Bandai Namco couldn’t kick off the marketing campaign. The good news is that matter seemed to be resolved. Bandai Namco followed up with the USPTO and the trademark got published for opposition.
The trademark was published for opposition on April 14, 2020. Anyone who wants to oppose the trademark had 30 days to object and file a complaint and those days have passed with no visible objections filed against the Elden Ring trademark. The next step is to get the notice of allowance from the USPTO which is issued 11 weeks after the publication date.
Bandai Namco now has 6 months to either file the statement of use or file for an extension. A statement of use can only be filed if your trademark is in use in commerce. From a trademark perspective, “a statement of use” includes evidence showing that you are selling the product marked with the brand or you are invoicing the buyer with the mark of the brand, in this case, Elden Ring, which means a possible 2020 release for Elden Ring isn’t out of the question unless Bandai Namco files for an extension. Filing an extension will buy Bandai Namco another 6 months. Namco can file 5 extensions before the trademark is axed. The least Namco needs to do is put the game up for pre-order this year to complete the trademark or file for a 6 months extension.
Everything we have discussed in this article about the Elden Ring trademark is factual but its impact on the slow marketing in pure speculation.
