USPTO Announces Oral Hearing in Long-Running Game Industry Trademark Dispute for Feb. 26
ATLANTA (Feb. 2, 2016) — The United States Patent and Trademark Office announced oral hearings in one of its longer-running oppositions, Atari Interactive’s attempt to keep independent game developer Hazy Dreams of Infinity from using the words “Haunted” and “House” in the title of its upcoming “Haunted House Tycoon” game. First filed on Dec. 13, 2011, the case has dragged on even as Atari tried to get into making gambling products, went into bankruptcy and sold off its most valuable brands.
“Atari has a horrible reputation for attacking independent game developers, including recently going after TxK developer Jeff Minter,” said Andrew Greenberg, president of Hazy Dreams of Infinity. “Trying to claim no one else can use the words ‘Haunted’ and ‘House’ is especially ridiculous, considering games have been using the term ‘Haunted House” in titles ever since Magnavox released a game by that name for the Odyssey in 1972.”
