Back in 2010 a quaint little game by the name of CandySwipe was released, a match 3 puzzle title the likes of Puzzle Quest and Bejeweled. The game was free, and likely made revenue from ad sales. Without getting too accusatory it’s also easy to see the similarities between CandySwipe and Candy Crush Saga.
CandySwipe 2010, Candy Crush 2012
Thing is, Candy Crush Saga was created in 2012. It became wildly popular and is largely to be credited for King’s success. So why stop at being a titan when you could smash the little guy under your titanic foot? King went on a trademarking spree, exercising their legal right to protecting their IP and all associated copyrights. Going as far as writing a letter to their adoring public explaining how they weren’t so much bullying people with their legal team, as they were just keeping their stretch muscles primed. (In the same letter they gave a half hearted apology to Pac-Avoid saying they maybe shouldn’t have ripped off their title.)
You may have already heard the most infamous instance of this case where King tried to block Stoic from using Banner Saga, claiming the word “Saga” would confuse gamers – and somehow ignoring the existence of tons of other games with ‘Saga’ in the title such as Saga Frontier, Xenosaga and Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga. Maybe because these games were long in the public domain?
Turns out that might not matter. CandySwipe existed well before Candy Crush, so maybe it’s just easier to pick on the little guy. Pick they did, the open letter which can be read here cites how game developer Albert Ransom created CandySwipe in loving memory of his mother, who he says loved match 3 puzzle games. ” In fact, if you beat the full version of the android game, you will still get the message saying “…the game was made in memory of my mother, Layla…”
The letter goes on to explain how Ransom attempted to block King’s trademark for likelihood of confusion, a tactic that should be familiar to the self proclaimed stand up goals of King. Ransom unfortunately lost the legal battle, explaining the stakes were more for him than just an IP and a memory of his mother, but also tied to his work as a creator and livelihood of his family.
You can read King’s open letter on their own IP trademarking rights here.
