[Roisan Sweeney]

No. Bethesda knows we're on to them and this new trademark is a farce. Don't let em fool ya boys.

[Isabell Hoffmann]

Are you saying the status for the other three will be dead?


The fourth Skyrim trademark is for computer game software, although there is already a trademark of Skyrim for computer game software. Does this mean they'll abandon the old one??

It appears they are going to let the original mark expire and are thus applying for the new mark now, knowing that the months it takes would create a lapse, and by the time the application is approved the other mark will have expired... sneaky! Well maybe the Next Gen Console folks are right after-all.

[naome duncan]

and most of the employees are probably not informed on the overall project. for example: an employee in the art department might be doing nothing more than creating wall textures, completely unaware of the plot or questline. it's not like everyone on the team has their hands in everything.

I'm pretty sure this is not true. A developement team shares everything. They're all working on the same game and are generally aware of what's going on.
I believe there are some videos on youtube of the making of Oblivion that quite demonstrates this. Anyway, there's no reason Bethesda's dev team would act so weirdly.

[Markie Mark]

as far as the trademark goes, i'm not surprised. i've always thought the skyrim trademark thing was more of an effort to keep other companies from creating name-recognition than to secure a setting for a future game. if, for instance, Bethesda had not secured 'skyrim', the entire meaning of the name could be changed over a few moths with TV/Internet ad campaigns. think about it. if a company was to run commercials with an expedia.com-style jingle...after a few months, it wouldn't have anything to do with the elder scrolls as far as the average joe is concerned.

Or maybe Beth is aware of how closely we pay attention to trademarks and they just wanted to file more to throw us off. :hubbahubba:

jk...

[lucile]

Or maybe Beth is aware of how closely we pay attention to trademarks and they just wanted to file more to throw us off. :hubbahubba:

jk...

if that were true we'd probably have some "blackmarsh"/"elsweyr"/"summerset isle" trademarks in the mix...


and talk about an expensive red-herring!

[Annick Charron]

This is fun.

[Lavender Brown]

wrong thread

:whistling:

[Daddy Cool!]

wait beth/zenimax/whoever filed for another skyrim trademark? i thought they had to prove they were using before they could do that?

[Beth Belcher]

It appears they are going to let the original mark expire and are thus applying for the new mark now, knowing that the months it takes would create a lapse, and by the time the application is approved the other mark will have expired... sneaky! Well maybe the Next Gen Console folks are right after-all.

They have to be working on something, and unless it's a new IP, TES:V seems to be the only logical answer. I'm not sure about what to make of this new TM, but i think if this next issue of GI (and obviously their site slightly before) doesn't announce it, we may still be waiting awhile; however, thinking about it being on the next gen systems seems downright foolish with these new technologies coming out for the PS3 and 360.

[Captian Caveman]

So, why aren't the old marks expired if this new Skyrim trademark is active?

[Riky Carrasco]

So, why aren't the old marks expired if this new Skyrim trademark is active?

i don't know... I'm still at a loss as to why they felt the need for a new TM

[Laura Tempel]

They have to be working on something, and unless it's a new IP, TES:V seems to be the only logical answer. I'm not sure about what to make of this new TM, but i think if this next issue of GI (and obviously their site slightly before) doesn't announce it, we may still be waiting awhile; however, thinking about it being on the next gen systems seems downright foolish with these new technologies coming out for the PS3 and 360.

Well I am saying that if this new mark is to replace the old then it gives them 4 more years to announce a game, and in theory that would put it on the new consoles as I doubt Kinect can sustain the Xbox 360 platform for another 4 years.

[NeverStopThe]

So, why aren't the old marks expired if this new Skyrim trademark is active?

The new mark is at a very early stage in the application process. It hasn't even been approved yet if you compare the TARR histories on the old mark and that of the new, the next step is where someone actually makes the first decision on it. Right now they basically have sent in the application and someone entered that into the system. It makes sense to start the application process in advance of a mark's expiration so that you reduce or mitigate any lapse in ownership of said mark. It wasn't anything I think we considered about trademark expiration, and frankly I would think there must be some squatting regulations that would still impact this type of activity... yet here we are!

[Dustin Brown]

Well... I think we're going to have to wait EVEN longer folks. *Sigh*


Then again, wasn't there something about the old Skyrim trademarks, about the Statement of Use or the "Use in Commerce" that made it odd to announce Skyrim when it had to be actually released for sale before the trademarks expired? Maybe they got the new trademark now to fix that.

Because looking back at Oblivion's trademarks, it says, "First used in commerce" on it's release date. So maybe they'll announce Skyrim soon as we all thought, with a fresh trademark to be able to have the "Use in Commerce" actually feasible, if it is released over a year from now.

[Jonny]

Well, the trademarks for Brink were registered shortly before the game was revealed. So, maybe that can be the case with this new Skyrim trademark popping up.

Bingo. I think so as well. :celebration:

Well I am saying that if this new mark is to replace the old then it gives them 4 more years to announce a game, and in theory that would put it on the new consoles as I doubt Kinect can sustain the Xbox 360 platform for another 4 years.

Perhaps, but I doubt it. I don't have time to develop a full argument, but this actually brings me more hope rather than diminishing it.

Well... I think we're going to have to wait EVEN longer folks. *Sigh*

Not quite. Steele your resolve gentleman! :slap:

[Georgia Fullalove]

Bingo. I think so as well. :celebration:



Perhaps, but I doubt it. I don't have time to develop a full argument, but this actually brings me more hope rather than diminishing it.




Not quite. Steele your resolve gentleman! :slap:

I must have missed Mr. Tissue's other post... that does give me hope too! Thanks

[Lou]

let's wait for the GI before we already assume TES is dead (which it will be to me if I have to buy a new console for it, because I sure as hell am not buying a new console).

NOTE: I bolded that part so people don't go nuts on me.

PS: I still think it'll be in the GI.

[Nauty]

Does announcing ESV really fulfill the "Use in commerce"? Because from what I see with Oblivion's trademarks, a "Use in commerce" means actually releasing the game.

[Jason Wolf]

Does announcing ESV really fulfill the "Use in commerce"? Because from what I see with Oblivion's trademarks, a "Use in commerce" means actually releasing the game.

Announcing the game will satisfy a statement of use according to the US Trademark office:

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1095512-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-number-33/page__st__180__p__16004747__fromsearch__1&#entry16004747

Or according to the bland gentleman who works there at least.

As far as "Use in Commerce" that is different than a statement of use:

http://inventors.about.com/od/definations/g/Commerce.htm

Intent to use in commerce:

http://inventors.about.com/od/inventing101trademarks/f/intent_to_use.htm

[Love iz not]

Does announcing ESV really fulfill the "Use in commerce"? Because from what I see with Oblivion's trademarks, a "Use in commerce" means actually releasing the game.

maybe beth has been working on this secretly for four years and theyre going to release it to us! (wishful thinking...) but i think we should wait for GI before we start assuming more things.

[Eduardo Rosas]

Announcing the game will satisfy a statement of use according to the US Trademark office:

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1095512-official-tes-v-speculation-thread-number-33/page__st__180__p__16004747__fromsearch__1&#entry16004747

Or according to the bland gentleman who works there at least.

As far as "Use in Commerce" that is different than a statement of use:

http://inventors.about.com/od/definations/g/Commerce.htm

Intent to use in commerce:

http://inventors.about.com/od/inventing101trademarks/f/intent_to_use.htm

Then that means Bethesda could have full well announced ESV before the three Skyrim trademarks expire, but now they have a new Skyrim trademark. That tells me that they don't intend to announce ESV anytime soon, because they could very well announce ESV soon without a new Skyrim trademark. But... they have a new one.

[Danny Warner]

Then that means Bethesda could have full well announced ESV before the three Skyrim trademarks expire, but now they have a new Skyrim trademark. That tells me that they don't intend to announce ESV anytime soon, because they could very well announce ESV soon without a new Skyrim trademark. But... they have a new one.

Did you just pull a Superman ending and spin the earth around to save Lois from getting crushed in a ditch?

I'm now confused? (like I wasn't before...but that's okay!)

[Andrew Perry]

Did you just pull a Superman ending and spin the earth around to save Lois from getting crushed in a ditch?

I'm now confused? (like I wasn't before...but that's okay!)

I don't understand what you mean by that.

Let me clarify:
If Zenimax never filed this new Skyrim trademark, they could still announce ESV before the 3 trademarks expire, and everything would be well and good. But why would Zenimax just plop down another Skyrim trademark when they can announce it soon already with their existing 3 trademarks? It's pointless. The only logical reason they filed for another trademark, is so that they can extend the time before announcing the game by another 4 years.

[Bad News Rogers]

I don't understand what you mean by that.

Let me clarify:
If Zenimax never filed this new Skyrim trademark, they could still announce ESV before the 3 trademarks expire, and everything would be well and good. But why would Zenimax just plop down another Skyrim trademark when they can announce it soon already with their existing 3 trademarks? It's pointless. The only logical reason they filed for another trademark, is so that they can extend the time before announcing the game by another 4 years.

That is where I was headed with it too, until Stain quoted you saying, "Well, the trademarks for Brink were registered shortly before the game was revealed. So, maybe that can be the case with this new Skyrim trademark popping up." Which gave me all sorts of hope. And then you "went back in time" as it were (like the ending to Superman) and now we are back to a gram of hopelessness

[Marcin Tomkow]

That is where I was headed with it too, until Stain quoted you saying, "Well, the trademarks for Brink were registered shortly before the game was revealed. So, maybe that can be the case with this new Skyrim trademark popping up." Which gave me all sorts of hope. And then you "went back in time" as it were (like the ending to Superman) and now we are back to a gram of hopelessness

Well, I brought that up first, and then I got to thinking. Because this is different than Brink. Brink didn't have 3 other trademarks that were fully good to announce already.