Game

A Louisiana film production company, "Stellarblade," is suing Sony and Shift Up, the developer of the PS5 game Stellar Blade, for alleged trademark infringement. The lawsuit, filed earlier this month, claims the game's title damages Stellarblade's business and online visibility.

The plaintiff, Griffith Chambers Mehaffey, argues that the similarity between "Stellarblade" and "Stellar Blade," including their logos and stylized "S," causes confusion and harms his film company's online presence. He registered the "Stellarblade" trademark in June 2023, after sending a cease and desist letter to Shift Up the following month. He claims to have owned the stellarblade.com domain since 2006 and operated his business under that name since 2011.

Mehaffey seeks monetary damages, attorney fees, and an injunction preventing further use of the "Stellar Blade" trademark. He also requests the destruction of all related game materials.

Shift Up registered the "Stellar Blade" trademark in January 2023, months before Mehaffey's registration. However, Mehaffey's lawyer argues that Sony and Shift Up should have been aware of his pre-existing rights, given his long-standing use of the similar name and domain. The game was initially known as "Project Eve" before its renaming in 2022.

Mehaffey's lawyer contends that the defendants' actions have created a digital monopoly, obscuring Mehaffey's business online. The lawsuit highlights the retroactive nature of trademark rights, which can extend beyond the official registration date. The outcome of this case will be closely watched by the gaming and film industries.