Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two, are disputing Remedy's use of the letter "R" in their new logo. Has the letter "R" really become so synonymous with Rockstar's brand, or is this just another opportunistic lawsuit?
As first reported by Respawnfirst, Rockstar's parent company Take-Two are in a trademark dispute with Remedy, the makers of Alan Wake. Their complaint is with Remedy's newest logo, first revealed in April 2023, which is a white "R" on a black background. Their argument is that this is too close to Rockstar's own black "R" on a yellow background.
What makes this case even more bizarre is that these two companies are currently working together on Max Payne remakes (Remedy are developing, Rockstar are funding).
Rockstar-Remedy Dispute Explained
Remedy unveiled a new logo in April 2023, because as they explained at the time, they wanted the logo to represent the changing direction of the company:
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.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.
However, the new logo is admittedly very reminiscent of Rockstar's logo:
You can find the publically accessible trademark dispute reports here and here. The pertinent information is that they're disputing Remedy's use of the new logo on the basis of Article 8(1)(b) EUTMR; "There exists a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public”.
The case is still open at the time of writing, but we are yet to hear anything official from Rockstar or Remedy.
What do you think about the logos, are they so close as to possibly create confusion, or is this just bullish from Take-Two?