Microsoft has decided yet again to play Goliath. The heavy-handed giant is demanding that a small venture-backed company, called XBux, change its name.
Despite the fact that XBux which helps extreme sporting event promoters and athletes find sponsors, is nowhere near the video game world, Microsoft alleges that XBux is infringing on its XBox trademark, according to XBux. XBux, of Redwood City, Calif., says Microsoft originally argued that both companies were in the "entertainment business," and therefore crossed paths, but backed away from this position. Microsoft seemed to go away for a few months, then came back and deposed XBux's chief executive, a former venture capitalist named Richard Grogan-Crane.
A brutal reset, a smarter story, and a return to what made it great—Mortal Kombat (2011) revived the series.
Underrated comment. I used to hate that game so much that any time my siblings asked me to play it, I just picked Hom and shut myself down mid-match.
15 years went by so fast. I remember playing through the story mode at launch.
New report from Skillsearch found that 22% of those surveyed had been laid off within the past 12 months.
It's a step forward for Stop Killing Games.
The contributor of this story plastixblue, has had to change his name to "plasticblue" after being threatened by Microsoft's parade of lawyers.
This is flexing your corporate muscle a little to hard. But hey they have to make use of there entire country of lawyers or else it is wasted money at the end of the day.
without microsoft i would've never heard of them
I currently hold a few TM so I know a thing or two about it. Companies pay lots of money in order to protect their branding. It's obvious that this company probably wanted XBox but was not available to went for XBux. This the reason why TM exists.
Microsoft is doing what Google would be doing if someone launch a site named gogle. My take is that they are going to lose if they take to court. They will 1 lose to court.. or run out of money.. because microsoft full time lawyers are hoping they have something to do with their free time.
i thought xbux was xbox in german!lol
If MS feels Xbux is infringing on their trademark, then they have the right to take Xbux to court for it. I don't think there's anything here that is that unusual.
It certainly seems like an odd name for a company.... Xbux..... and I'm assuming Xbox was around first.... so....
I don't know if I'd call it bullying. If I started a company and called it Ploystation, I'm sure Sony would take offense to it. Or if I started a company called Wee.....
Only thing I find off is the bit about "both in the entertainment business". I think there's sufficient difference between the two products/companies that there wouldn't be any confusion. More likely you might get someone who accidentally types in xbux.com instead of xbox.com.