Take-Two Says It 'Owns' Words Like 'Bully' And 'Rockstar' In Copyright Claims

Take-Two seems to have gone a little IP wild. The brand has been making a lot of claims related to its property names and random brands, companies, and products that sort of share similarities to their work. On the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Inquiry System, you can see there are dozens of ongoing disputes, and some of them are entirely ridiculous. 

Easy_Pianist_5423 on Reddit spotted these disputes and even realised one of the targets of this situation is one of 2021’s best games It Takes Two. The game by Hazelight Studios is a co-op title where two players have to work together to become human again after being transformed into miniature toy versions of themselves. It’s a phenomenal platforming adventure, but Take-Two obviously thinks the game’s name is a little too close to their brand.

It doesn’t stop there though. Take-Two is going after almost anything with the words 'rock' and 'star' in the name. Swimsuits, restaurants, media companies and more are all under fire for having the two words associated. 

It’s also game names that Take-Two is trying to protect. It’s attempting to go after companies that have the word 'mafia' in the name or slogan, like “Inside the Mafia” for one company. Additionally “Bully Free World” is getting targeted just because of the game Bully. Hilariously Take-Two’s claim on the Max Payne games means it’s disputing the use of a designer brand Max Fayne, and another company using the name Max Pain. 

Take-Two is even trying to combat the usage of Social Club, the name it uses for Rockstar’s online capabilities. “Modern Agent Social Club”, in their opinion is crossing the line into their turf. As I said, this list of claims goes on and on, each dispute seems a little more a reach from the last. 

Take-Two, however, has a lot of money to spend. Though it seems unlikely that every dispute is going to go its way, there is a good chance it’s going to beat some of these brands which may cross into media or gaming-like territory.

Topics: Take-Two, Rockstar Games