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Ubisoft Abandons Watch Dogs Trademark (Update: Fraudulent Filing)

Posted on February 3, 2014

Update: The trademark abandonment filing was fraudulent and unauthorized by Ubisoft's CEO, as the initial filing indicated. The USPTO website states:

On February 1, 2014, Ubisoft Entertainment received an email from [email protected] notifying Ubisoft Entertainment that a Request for Express Abandonment had been filed in connection with Application Serial No. 85642398. The Request for Express Abandonment purports to be signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft Entertainment, Yves Guillemot. 

Mr. Guillemot, however, did not sign the Request for Express Abandonment, nor did Ubisoft Entertainment file the Request for Express Abandonment. The Request for Express Abandonment is fraudulent and was not filed by Ubisoft Entertainment or its representative.

As of this filing, the Office has not yet issued a Notice of Abandonment.

Thanks to reader JoshBrodieNZ for the tip.

The web was just hit with a frenzy of articles about Ubisoft filing an "express abandonment" of its "WATCH DOGS" trademark; we've seen articles and forum posts buzzing about the possibility of an Assassin's Creed rebrand, cancellation, and other nonsense, but we're fairly positive that this isn't anything beyond the usual technicalities that arise when dealing with trademarks.

watchdoge(I'm so sorry).

This all started when NeoGAF forum member Rösti spotted Ubisoft's Express Abandonment filing on the USPTO website, as seen below. Ubisoft holds six trademarks for the Watch Dogs brand, but the one abandoned was for its game software, which is what caused the stir.

watchdogs-trademark watchdogs-trademark2

As explained by UOIP, Express Abandonment is defined as:

"Express Abandonment – occurs after a written declaration of abandonment identifying the application is sent to the USPTO; it becomes effective when an appropriate official of the USPTO takes action on the declaration; either the invention or the application may be abandoned; once abandoned, the application will be removed from the USPTO’s docket of pending applications (see MPEP 711.01)."

I'd be absolutely dumbfounded if Ubisoft drops the Watch_Dogs brand entirely, and by that, I mean it won't happen. Look at everything Ubisoft has ever made: Tom Clancy games, Assassin's Creed games, Heroes games -- they're all massive franchises. That's how Ubisoft operates as a company -- they invest heavily in the earlier iterations (with an undeniably huge percentage of budget going toward marketing and hype), then remake their investment over the course of the franchise's expansions. The marketing budget for Watch_Dogs is already phenomenal, going off of what we saw at E3 and other trade shows, and it'd be foolish to abandon a brand that's already got global recognition among gamers.

Yes, even for Assassin's Creed.

Instead, I'd wager that this abandonment filing was of the technical variety. Clerical error, household phrase issue, perhaps a refiling with the underscore, or maybe just lapse that will be renewed in the near future. It could even be some sort of viral marketing campaign; this would be a good low-cost way to get all the sites and fans talking about Watch_Dogs again.

So no, I'm not going to sensationalize and say that Watch_Dogs is canceled on all platforms -- but I did want to bring a dose of realism to the gaming journalism world. Watch_Dogs was originally delayed to October 2013, then again to a later date; its original delay target was aimed at shipping the game alongside new consoles, but that window was missed. I'd suspect we'll see it once gameplay is cleaned up and prepared for launch.

Maybe if developers take their time with the game (and publishers don't pressure a looming release date), we won't get the buggy mess that is Battlefield 4.

- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.