Here’s a name we haven’t heard in a while: Tim Langdell, owner of the word “edge,” is in the news again. GamesIndustry reports that a US district court has tossed out Langdell’s injuction against publisher EA, and suggested that the perennial trademark-lawsuiter may face criminal charges for “earlier actions.”
In legalese, and in this case, “earlier actions” translates into “falsifying evidence.” Langdell’s efforts against EA game Mirror’s Edge and other EA titles with the word “edge” in them (I wonder: do sledge or hedge count as having the word “edge?” If so, shouldn’t Langdell also go after SEGA for Sonic the H<censored>hog?”) led to a bit of digging he’d probably prefer hadn’t happened: Langdell’s team apparently submitted a faked EDGE Magazine cover as part of a trademark renewal, and indicated that he’d been selling a certain game under the Edge Games name since 2004, when a bit of net sleuthing demonstrates the site used as evidence to this hadn’t been registered until 2008.
If things keep going this way for the disgraced and despised ex-IGDA Director, we may be able to use the word edge again soon, meaning we could actually take the website name we always wanted to: EdgeOfTheEdgeOfEdgesInEdgingtown.com.
UPDATE: GamesIndustry.biz reports that Langdell has been stripped of all ownership over the “Edge” trademark in the U.S. and has been ordered to give, or have one of his toadies give, a sworn statement to that effect by this Friday. Criminal charges around Langdell’s falsification of evidence, and civil suits from developers he has victimized over the years, are unconfirmed but likely.
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