Per newly-reported filings, Take-Two Interactive initiated a trademark dispute against Remedy Entertainment in 2023, claiming its new logo was too similar to that of its subsidiary, Rockstar Games. Both logos prominently feature a stylised ‘R’ and it appears this was the subject of the legal filing, as spotted by RespawnFirst.
Update 19/1: Following media coverage of this filing, Remedy Entertainment has reached out to multiple publications to confirm the issue has already been resolved amicably.
“There is nothing to see here,” Remedy told VGC this week. “This was a discussion between our teams that was resolved entirely and amicably late last year. Unfortunately, it took a little longer to complete than we had hoped due to some holiday scheduling. The legal filing was simply an initial formality, and Remedy and Take-Two continue to work together in partnership.”
The original story continues below.
Remedy Entertainment changed its logo in April 2023, replacing its former bullet-themed ‘R’ with a simpler, more minimalist design. Per reporting from The Verge, it filed the trademark application with the EU prior to the public reveal, and later filed similar trademarks in the UK and US.
“The bullet in the letter R in the old logo represented the era of Max Payne, but the Remedy of now is much bigger than a single game; we have a whole portfolio of games, new and old,” Remedy Entertainment said of the new logo upon reveal. “It was time to update and redefine our visual identity to bring more consistency, showcase our evolution over the years, and better express our vision of today’s Remedy.”
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Take-Two reportedly filed its opposition against Remedy’s application in the EU in July 2023, and in the UK in September 2023. Few details were included with this filing, but as The Verge notes, the Rockstar Games logo was submitted as evidence against the trademark application.
In the EU filing, the opposition was briefly noted as “likelihood of confusion Unfair advantage / detriment to distinctiveness or repute” suggesting Take-Two Interactive believes the public may not be able to differentiate between the Rockstar and Remedy logos – despite both featuring unique design quirks.
Both companies are currently working on the upcoming Max Payne 1 + 2 remasters – and it may be that Take-Two aims to create more separation between the brands, to ensure the divisions of contribution are clearer. Whatever the case, the trademark dispute appears to be a rather awkward bugbear for the two companies, which have worked closely together for years now.
This article has been updated since its original publication.
