If I were the holder of the Iron Maiden trademarks, I'd sue them too.
Regardless of the imagery, the name is too close for comfort.
Iron Maiden have plenty of cash from the music and brand they have built. It makes sense to defend it using all means at your disposal.
Edit: Would the game have the same name if Iron Maiden didn't exist? It seems doubtful. It's a play on words exploiting a registered trademark.
Like...none of these things completely on their own is going to cause someone to question it. All of it together? C'mon son.
You realize the notion of the iron maiden predates the band by a century, right?
I mean I could throw that "seeing the outcome you want" right back at you too. Each letter is are incredibly different except the I.To me this is just facetiousness and seeing the outcome you want. There are clear similarities in the shaping of the letters, how the holes in letters are formed, and how legs/arms of letters extend past the body of the letter.
Sure, if his estate has a trademark.
So many strawmen in this thread.
You can't name your band name after an actual thing (medieval torture device) and then cry lawsuit when someone else references the actual thing. Dude, your band name isn't original. This is quite different than that lawsuit over some beer maker making "Guns N Rose," a homage that wouldn't exist if the band didn't. I watched the trailer and didn't see a bunch of band references or homages. Seems like in a vacuum, the product could conceivably been created if the metal band never existed.
Edit: Would the game have the same name if Iron Maiden didn't exist? It seems doubtful. It's a play on words exploiting a registered trademark.
Someone better tell the other games/movies that use that kind of cover to stop it.
I'm the farthest thing from a legal expert you can imagine, but isn't there, like, protections for parody when it comes to things like the name being a jokey nod? And yeah the rest of their claims are an insane stretch.
Like...none of these things completely on their own is going to cause someone to question it. All of it together? C'mon son.
"Defendant's Ion Maiden name is nearly identical to the Iron Maiden trademark in appearance, sound and overall commercial impression," reads the lawsuit. "Defendant also uses the Ion Maiden name to sell merchandise including shirts and mouse pads." Brought up is Iron Maiden's previous computer game, Legacy of the Beast, and merchandise, which seems to be the main point of contention. There is also a link between the names for Maiden bassist Steve Harris and Ion Maiden protagonist Shelley Harrison, which the band claims is a copy.
That's a bogus example, there's no such thing as a Coco Cola outside of the product.Iron Maiden
Ion Maiden
Coca Cola
Coca Col
Both of the second names have a single letter change from the original trademarks.
If you think that is going to fly against marks that have been registered for decades I don't know what to tell you.
The guys who made Run for the Hills suing over this? man that's sad, lost their way.
That's a bogus example, there's no such thing as a Coco Cola outside of the product.
If Coco Cola took their name from something else then sure.
Iron Maiden
Ion Maiden
Coca Cola
Coca Col
Both of the second names have a single letter change from the original trademarks.
If you think that is going to fly against marks that have been registered for decades I don't know what to tell you.
The takes on this site, lord jesus moses help me.
Someone call P!nk's lawyers, she's gonna clean up! Crayola better be nervous.Iron Maiden
Ion Maiden
Coca Cola
Coca Col
Both of the second names have a single letter change from the original trademarks.
If you think that is going to fly against marks that have been registered for decades I don't know what to tell you.
The default Wikipedia page when you search for "iron maiden" is the torture device, not the band.
No case here.
Yes, they own a trademark to "Iron Maiden", not Ion Maiden. Different thing. The semblance is not enough when they're both based on a term from ages ago that has been constantly used.I'm aware of the origins of the name but the band hold the trademarks. If they hold the trademarks in the category of gaming it's case closed.
Don't hate the player, hate the game.
The default Wikipedia page when you search for "iron maiden" is the torture device, not the band.
No case here.
Yes, they own a trademark to "Iron Maiden", not Ion Maiden. Different thing. The semblance is not enough when they're both based on a term from ages ago.
Yes, they own a trademark to "Iron Maiden", not Ion Maiden. Different thing. The semblance is not enough when they're both based on a term from ages ago.
You probably can make a game titled Apple, though.Default wikipedia page when you search for Apple is for...apples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple
Clearly I can make a computer company named Appel and be fine.
See above.
this is a very stupid and disingenuous postIron Maiden
Ion Maiden
Coca Cola
Coca Col
Both of the second names have a single letter change from the original trademarks.
If you think that is going to fly against marks that have been registered for decades I don't know what to tell you.
The i's are exactly the same!!!
I pose this question sincerely, but is Ion Maiden really even known outside of a small sect of gaming enthusiasts? Surely this wasn't threatening the band that much. I think I only heard about this game once or twice through the Bombcast, and that was it.
My three stages of discovery when reading the OP:
1: There's gonna be an Iron Maiden game? Sweet!
2: Wait, the game isn't about Iron Maiden? Then why did they call it Iron Maiden? That IS really confusing. No wonder they're suing.
3: Ooohhhhh
So, given my initial reaction, I'm gonna have to go with the band on this one...
I've already acknowledged that no single element alone, such as the artwork, would be enough to get me to think anything of it. It's the totality of the similarities that make the case.
Iron Maiden is a band and Ion Maiden is a video game. If this was about a band versus a band, then you might've been right.Default wikipedia page when you search for Apple is for...apples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple
Clearly I can make a computer company named Appel and be fine.
See above.
Sure they do. But their evidences aren't convincing. A lot of elements they posed seem like either scènes à faire or misunderstood. The name resemblance, for example, doesn't sound all that intentional when the character technically debut in her previous game, Bombshell.Of course if the trademark is theirs, then they have the power to attempt a defense.
Ok, I initially felt you were missing something unidentifiable before, but I'm fairly certain you're just intentionally being obtuse at this point.
Iron Maiden is a band and Ion Maiden is a video game. If this was about a band versus a band, then you've been right.
TBH I thought it was paying homage to DoomYou don't see any similarities with the character dressed in white with a spread leg stance wielding a weapon against an enemy horde on a blue backdrop? Along with the color scheme being similar, the font having those angle cuts with the logo, the eddie emoji looking thing, "Shelly Harrison" vs. "Steve Harris," the founder of the band...?
Folks there's coincidence and then there's this. Do I think it's malicious or that they should be sued over it? In principle no, but y'all acting like there's nothing to see here and this came out of thin air are delusional.