How Do You Report A Game For Trademark Infringement?

[Garce]

There is a music game on Steam that is being promoted for having " Choose from 600 different types of real equipment to see what works best for your band."

This equipment all involves real world companies - and they have not licensed anything. Not the trademarks, not the logos, nothing.

♥♥♥♥, if I knew I could rip off Gibson and Fender and Marshall and PRS with no repercussions a decade ago I would be in jail by now.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1235110/Rising_Star_2/

That "game" violates at least 600 trademarks.Unless the indie dev pulled a few million dollars out of his mother's pocket, this is going to be shut down soon. K? Thnx bye.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

The companies must file a claim against the game devs/pubs. You can't do it on their behalf.

You can contact them to let them know.

[rawWwRrr]

If you don't item the trademarks, copyrights, etc, then you can't do anything as you don't have any lawful claim.

[Crazy Tiger]

Curious, in the game hub you posted this:

Nguyên văn bởi Garce:

As someone under contract to many major manufacturers to make sure that their trademarks are being respected...

Wouldn't someone like that know that the copyright owner has to file it themselves?

[Zekiran]

Send a link of the game, to the companies that own those properties legal departments.

Guaranteed they already know, as they have legal departments which are responsible for patrolling for exactly this kind of thing. But if it sets your mind at ease, gather the link from Steam's store page, and make an email, and send it to them all...

Only the tm holders may file for any infringement.

[Walach]

I learnt "the many rule number ones", because there never is a single greatest rule. Anyways.

Don't make something that has these types of problems public. Contact the companies, if you want the companies involved, and let them handle it themselves. But I would so far as to say that you shouldn't fight multi million dollar companies battles for them at all, as they really can afford to fight them themselves! :P

Let the problems be theirs and not yours.

EDIT: What I'm trying to say is- Don't do these types of things for free! :P

[MancSoulja]

How do you even know they don't have a licence for those brands?

[ElvisDeadly]

Nguyên văn bởi MancSoulja:

How do you even know they don't have a licence for those brands?

^ this

How do you know the dev hasn't asked for permission?

A game like that, its free advertising/brand awareness. Its different to someone making knockoff guitars and selling them as real.

Anyway, as others have said, it's not your problem OP

[Zekiran]

Nguyên văn bởi ElvisDeadly:

A game like that, its free advertising/brand awareness. Its different to someone making knockoff guitars and selling them as real.

I can tell you, from having been slammed with a C&D on non-infringing products, that this is completely untrue.

If a law firm is hired to patrol for infringement they WILL stomp whatever they find, *REGARDLESS* of the "exposure".

Ask an artist whether "exposure" pays rent.

[ElvisDeadly]

Nguyên văn bởi Zekiran:

Nguyên văn bởi ElvisDeadly:

A game like that, its free advertising/brand awareness. Its different to someone making knockoff guitars and selling them as real.

I can tell you, from having been slammed with a C&D on non-infringing products, that this is completely untrue.

If a law firm is hired to patrol for infringement they WILL stomp whatever they find, *REGARDLESS* of the "exposure".

Ask an artist whether "exposure" pays rent.

I'm not talking about artists, many of my close friends are artists and i agree 100% with what you mean about the "exposure"/working for free thing.

But I'm talking about guitar manufacturers. I don't think Fender hit bands with a C&D when they use their guitars in music videos or promotional photographs.

I was also speaking with the assumption that the dev may have asked for permission.

[kitt]

How do you not make random claims should be the better Topic Title

[Spawn of Totoro]

Nguyên văn bởi Crazy Tiger:

Curious, in the game hub you posted this:

Nguyên văn bởi Garce:

As someone under contract to many major manufacturers to make sure that their trademarks are being respected...

Wouldn't someone like that know that the copyright owner has to file it themselves?

Someone authorized to protect such things would could do so on the companies behalf, but they would already have the knowledge on how to protect them as well, otherwise they would not be under said contract to begin with.

OP, contact the owners of said trademark/copyright and let them decide. It isn't up to us to make such a determination as we have no way of knowing if they have a contract or not with said companies or even if it may fall under some kind of fair use.

That is really all you can do on the matter.

[Start_Running]

This might actually fall under fair use.
Its why characters in a book can talk about Hagendaz Ice Cream and buying BigMacs

Though OP you'd still have to go to the trademark holders. For all we know they may actually be paying to have their stuff in game.