Zynga will have to change the game’s logo.
Troubled social game maker Zynga has had some good news: its lawsuit with Mattel over Scramble With Friends, the word finding game, has finished in Zynga’s favor. Though Zynga will have to alter the game’s logo slightly, the name itself – however close to Mattel’s Scrabble it may be – isn’t a problem. But the logo is; Zynga’s use of a stylized ‘m’ makes it look a little too much like Scrabble, and could confuse someone not looking very closely at the logo. That will have to change, according to the ruling made by Mr Justice Peter Smith in the UK’s High Court.
Mattel is disappointed that the High Court didn’t kill Scramble altogether, and intends to appeal. However Mr Justice Smith did allow an injunction against Scramble while the ‘m’ issue is sorted out, which is some small consolation for Mattel. Zynga chose not to comment on the outcome.
It’s a small bit of good news for Zynga, whose fortunes of late have not been stellar. Its founder claims to be bored with games, its lead designer and co-founder recently quit, and its latest financials show a continuing trend of customer loss. Maybe Don Mattrick has a trick up his sleeve, but if things don’t improve, word puzzles and copyright clashes may be the least of Zynga’s worries.
Source: BBC
