Edge Games

Edge Games, Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Video games
Founded	1990 (1990) in California, United States
Founder	Tim Langdell
Headquarters	Pasadena, California , United States
Key people	Tim Langdell (Founder and CEO)
Products	Video games

Edge Games, Inc. is a United States-based video game developer and publisher located in Pasadena, California. The company is chiefly recognized for its founder and CEO, Tim Langdell, who gained notoriety for his assertive trademark enforcement concerning the term "edge," a tactic often labeled as "overly litigious."

In 2010, Edge Games initiated a lawsuit against Electronic Arts alleging trademark infringement, which was resolved through a settlement that involved Edge relinquishing numerous trademark registrations. Subsequently, in April 2013, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) revoked these trademarks by judicial mandate, prohibiting Edge from reapplying for them.

History

Tim Langdell established Softek Software in the United Kingdom in 1980, which later became incorporated as Softek International Ltd. The company initially developed straightforward arcade-style games for 8-bit platforms such as the ZX Spectrum, including titles like Firebirds, Ostron, and Monsters in Hell, all of which reached the top ten charts in 1983. Prominent developers at Softek included Graeme Devine and Andrew Glaister, who were responsible for creating Softek's Sinclair BASIC compiler named Super C. The company’s controversial approach involved claiming royalties on commercial software produced with Super C, leading to disputes over royalty payments.

In 1984, Langdell founded a subsidiary known as The Edge, comprising freelance artists and developers. Among its notable releases was Quo Vadis, promoted with a £10,000 prize and achieving number one status on the Commodore 64 charts. Despite this success, many early titles were criticized for their lack of innovation, often bearing strong similarities to popular games such as Lunar Jetman and Jet Set Willy. The ZX Spectrum title Fairlight (1985) attempted to emulate the Filmation engine used in Knight Lore. Programmer Bo Jangeborg later claimed that royalties were withheld unless he agreed to produce additional games.

By 1986, games like Bobby Bearing garnered positive reviews and were compared to titles such as Spindizzy and Marble Madness. That same year marked Softek's first licensed arcade conversion with Konami’s Shao-Lin's Road. The sequel, Fairlight II, was released incomplete without the programmer’s consent.

In 1987, The Edge published licensed games including the first video game adaptation of Jim Davis' Garfield comic strip, followed by a second Garfield title in 1989. A new publishing label called Ace was introduced to handle Sega and Taito arcade conversions like Alien Syndrome and Darius +. The latter featured a redesigned logo by illustrator Rodney Matthews, who also provided cover art. This logo was reused for The Punisher, based on the Marvel Comics character; however, only Atari ST and Amiga versions were launched. Although a trilogy of X-Men games was announced in 1989, it never reached completion.

Founded in California in 1990, Edge Games acquired the intellectual property rights from Softek and has since released nine games.

Trademark disputes

Edge Games has been involved in several legal conflicts concerning trademarks associated with the term "edge".

Edge (iOS game)

In May 2009, the French independent developer Mobigame faced the removal of its iOS game Edge from the US and UK App Stores due to legal threats from Tim Langdell, who asserted worldwide trademark ownership of the term "Edge". At that time, Mobigame was in the process of applying for trademark registration in the United States.

Correspondence between the parties revealed that Langdell demanded either 25% of the game's revenue if Mobigame opted to rename it, or alternatively, a perpetual 10% share plus branding rights if they licensed the name. Mobigame suggested the alternative title "Edgy", which Langdell declined; subsequently, Edge Games secured a trademark on "Edgy". Edge Games attributed some of the confusion to language barriers, although multiple sources confirmed Mobigame’s proficiency in English.

The game was briefly reinstated on the App Store in June 2009 but was removed again in July as Mobigame considered its next steps. Legal advisors for Mobigame contended that Edge Games’ trademarks were unenforceable against them due to minimal likelihood of consumer confusion and potential cancellation of those trademarks.

Edge Games issued a public letter disputing Eurogamer’s coverage; in response, Mobigame’s attorneys refuted these claims and compiled evidence challenging Edge Games’ assertions. The title reappeared in October 2009 under the name Edge by Mobigame, with Papazian stating that all legal obstacles had been resolved.

Nonetheless, it was taken down once more in November 2009 after Edge Games argued that adding a subtitle did not circumvent infringement. In December, it resurfaced as Edgy, but Mobigame voluntarily removed it to prevent establishing a legal precedent favoring Langdell in his ongoing dispute with EA.

By May 2010, Edge was restored to the App Store under its original name. Mobigame declared that their efforts had effectively liberated the term "edge" for use on the platform, benefiting other titles such as Mirror's Edge, Shadow Edge, and more.

Electronic Arts petition for trademark cancellation

Electronic Arts (EA) filed a petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on September 11, 2009, requesting cancellation of several trademarks owned by Edge Games and Future Publishing. EA alleged that Edge Games had repeatedly threatened litigation regarding EA’s 2008 release Mirror's Edge, and contended that these trademarks were either fraudulently obtained or abandoned due to nonuse. Tim Langdell of Edge Games denied these accusations, citing ongoing settlement negotiations since late 2008 and referencing a 2008 federal court decision affirming the validity of Edge's trademarks. Before submitting the petition, EA voluntarily withdrew its own trademark application for "Mirror's Edge".

In June 2010, at Future Publishing's behest, Edge Games initiated a trademark infringement lawsuit against EA concerning "Mirror's Edge". The complaint accused EA of willful infringement and unfair competition, seeking monetary damages and an injunction. EA responded with a counterclaim alleging fraudulent trademark registrations backed by falsified evidence and lack of genuine commercial use at filing. In October 2010, the court denied Edge Games’ request for an injunction, citing abandonment and false statements made to the USPTO.

By early October, EA and Edge Games reached a settlement wherein Edge surrendered trademarks including "edge," "cutting edge," "the edge," and "gamer's edge." No damages were awarded to either party, with each bearing their own legal expenses. The agreement contained no admission of fault. The USPTO formally cancelled these five "Edge" trademarks in April 2013.

In 2024, EA disclosed details of this settlement to Microsoft Corporation, which utilized them in defending against a trademark claim filed by Langdell. The terms prohibit Edge Games or affiliated entities from registering these trademarks in any jurisdiction or classification indefinitely.

Future Publishing dispute

In 2011, Future Publishing, known for publishing Edge magazine, initiated legal action against Langdell in the UK, accusing him of contract violation, copyright infringement, and passing off due to his unauthorized use of the magazine's logo for Edge Games and misleading claims of affiliation. Future had originally licensed the "Edge" trademark from Langdell in 1993 before acquiring full ownership in 2005. The court ruled unfavorably for Langdell, characterizing his evidence as fabricated and wholly unpersuasive.

Langdell asserted that he designed the Edge logo in 1991, offering a floppy disk as evidence; however, expert analysis revealed the disk's data originated from the Windows 95 era. The judge determined that Langdell had concocted false proof to bolster his assertions.

Following the verdict, Langdell appealed, attributing his defeat to Future and what he described as a "gullible" judge. Future denied receiving any new appeal documents but proceeded with contempt of court charges against him. Permission to appeal was denied for Edge Games, and Langdell’s attempt to transfer Future’s UK trademarks to Edge Games was also rejected.

Additional legal matters

In 2001, Edge Games unsuccessfully contested Namco's UK trademark registration for Soul Edge, citing potential confusion with its own "Edge" brand. Namco had already renamed the title to Soul Blade in Western territories as a precaution.

In 2009, Cybernet Systems filed suit against Edge after Langdell claimed rights over the "Edge" name and sought licensing for Cybernet’s game Edge of Extinction. Cybernet declined to license and instead pursued litigation.

That same year, Edge Games filed a US trademark application for "Edge of Twilight," a forthcoming steampunk fantasy game developed by Fuzzyeyes Studios.

Edge Games has engaged in several trademark disputes involving New World Computing (Planet's Edge), Marvel Entertainment (various properties), Sony Entertainment (PlayStation Edge), Edge Tech Corporation ("The Edge" hardware), and the online community EdgeGamers. Assertions that these entities licensed their marks from Edge Games have not been clearly substantiated.

In 2014, Edge Games challenged Razer Inc.’s use of the "Razer Edge" tablet name based on an earlier application for "SL8" tablets; this opposition was dismissed. Nonetheless, between 2019 and 2020, Langdell obtained trademarks for "Edge PC," "Edge Games," and "Edge Gaming PC."

In 2009, the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) sought Langdell’s removal from its board due to conflicts with its mission. He resigned prior to a membership vote but was expelled in 2010 over unethical conduct.

Despite earlier legal setbacks and settlement agreements limiting further claims, Edge Games resumed trademark litigation during the 2020s. Between 2022 and 2023, Langdell initiated cancellation proceedings at the USPTO against Lightfox Games and Microsoft concerning "Edge" trademarks linked to video game software, alleging consumer confusion and trademark dilution despite previous abandonment accords.

In 2024, Edge Games opposed Razer Inc.’s trademark filing for hardware featuring the "Edge" name. These actions attracted criticism within the industry as examples of trademark trolling intended to exploit lapsed rights to extract settlements from active developers.

Langdell’s ongoing claims prompted other parties such as French developer Mobigame to petition the USPTO for cancellation of remaining Edge Games trademarks on grounds of fraud, non-use, and breach of a 2010 settlement prohibiting such assertions.

Additional sources

• Takahashi, Dean (2023-10-14). "The conclusion of a 14-year legal dispute over the 'Edge' trademark in gaming approaches". VentureBeat.

External links

• Official site