Socialist Gamer Review

Registering Trademarks for Guild Names?

By Ravenhawk | April 29, 2007

I was hopping about the internet as I worked on my gaming group’s website when I discovered This article

Basically, this guild named The Syndicate who’s been playing for a little over ten years (started on UO now play WoW) got a trademark on their name and claims because of this that no other gaming groups can use the word “Syndicate” in their name.

My first reaction to the beginning of the article was excitement. It sounds cool, right? Getting a trademark on your name makes you sound so much more “professional.” The bullying of other groups though, especially over such a generic and completely uncreative name, is just sad though. My curiosity was sparked, and I went to investigate the website of this “Syndicate”

What I found was probably THE most stuck up egotistical gaming group website I’ve ever been to. And that is saying something, considering how full of themselves a lot of Guild Masters tend to be in autocratic guilds. Now, I admit of course that by size their guild is impressive. And the whole convention thing is pretty awesome, but if you read the website just about every page says the same three things over and over. “We are a community not a gaming guild!” “We have lots of game developers in our guild!” “We beta!”
All I’d like to say is; Please stop laying it on so thick?

It might just be because I heard the song yesterday as the DJ before me on the radio finished up with it on their show. But I was greatly reminded of Gaston from Beauty and Beast. Way to have a disney ego.

To come back from the tanget: I see nothing wrong with getting a trademark on a name, but you have to be intelligent enough to remember that your trademark does not apply to dictionary words. Trying to say you control the word Syndicate is like trying to copyright the word “Clan” and saying no other gaming groups can use it.