IQ-challenged U.S. patent office awards trademark for the word 'candy' to app developer

Saturday, February 01, 2014 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: U.S. patent office, trademark, candy

(NaturalNews) The word candy, which is used to describe literally thousands of confectionary creations the world over, is about as general of a descriptor as there ever was - which explains why the term was never patented.

Until now, that is, thanks to some brain death at the U.S. Patent Office.

As reported by the tech site Mashable:

The makers behind the popular mobile game Candy Crush Saga have received a sweet treat from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Almost a year after King.com Limited initially filed a trademark claim for the word "candy," the filing was approved by the USPTO Wednesday.

Oh, yes. Candy is a term now owned by a gaming company. Old man Hershey must be turning over in his grave. Other game developers are also miffed, but more on that in a moment.

The most downloaded game of 2013: Candy Crush Saga

With the granting of the unusual trademark, app developers who already had games on the market that include the word candy in their title are now receiving notifications and emails from tech giant Apple asking them to remove their apps from the App Store, presumably until they rename them:

These emails are in line with Apple's protocol as the company automatically sends out emails asking the two parties to connect when a claim is filed. Such emails therefore don't necessarily mean the tech giant is working alongside King; it's simply the protocol that takes place when a user files a claim against another developer.

In awarding the trademark, games, software, educational services and, believe it or not, even clothing, fall under it.

Gaming blog Gamezebo has reported that King.com Limited is asking other game developers to drop the phrase candy from their games.

King did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment, and an Apple spokesperson declined to comment.

According to reports, Candy Crush Saga was the most downloaded free game app for iPhones and iPads last year.

"Laying claim to a word as common as candy is ruffling some feathers in the world of gaming developers, many of whom may not have the financial resources necessary to fight a trademark claim against a more established developer like King," Mashable reported. "Benny Hsu, the developer behind All Candy Casino Slots - Jewels Craze Connect: Big Blast Mania Land, told Gamezebo that he doesn't have the money to fight back."

"I plan on changing the name if that is what I must do," he said.

And apparently, he must.

Sources:

http://www.mercurynews.com

http://mashable.com