china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 september – clash of clans launched on android...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
WAR STORIES
Hannu Partanen
Legal Counsel @ Supercell
![Page 2: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
WHO AM I?
![Page 3: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
HANNU PARTANEN – IN BRIEF
• Legal Guy
![Page 4: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
CHINA – MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY!
![Page 5: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
![Page 6: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
![Page 7: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
CHINA – MASSIVE HEADACHE!
![Page 8: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
CHINA – MASSIVE HEADACHE!
• You need a publisher
• Game review lead times
• Great Firewall
• Censorship
• Piracy
• Selling random content
• Contracts
• Trademark squatters
• Losing your own trademark(!)
![Page 9: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
SO YOU LOST YOUR CLASH OF CLANS TRADEMARK???
YES.. BUT FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND!
![Page 10: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
TIMELINE
2012 August – Clash of Clans launched on iOS
2013 October – Clash of Clans launched on Android (Google Play)
2014 July – Boom Beach launched on Android in China
2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China
![Page 11: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA
• We didn’t have consistent Clash branding for China before mid-2015
• Most players knew Clash as 部落战争 (Bu Luo Zhan Zheng), some as 部落冲突 (Bu Luo Chong Tu)
• 部落战争 = ‘BATTLE OF CLANS’
• 部落冲突 = ‘CONFLICT OF CLANS’
![Page 12: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
SURELY 部落战争 ≥ 部落冲突, RIGHT?
…SURE, BUT THE COOL NAME WASALREADY TAKEN L
(BATTLEOFCLANS) (CONFLICTOFCLANS)
![Page 13: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
OKAY, SO LET’S GO WITHCLASH OF CLANS AND部落冲突, THEN.
(CONFLICTOFCLANS)
…BUT THE TRADEMARK OFFICE SAID ‘NO’
![Page 14: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
‘THE MARK CAUSES AN UNHEALTHY INFLUENCE ON THE PUBLIC AND
THEREFORE CANNOT BE REGISTERED’
![Page 15: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
WE TRIED TO FIGHT IT…
• We asked for an expert panel statement from BIPI
• We went to meet the Chinese embassy in Finland
• We met with trademark authorities (TRAB) in Beijing, withthe Finnish embassy in China
• We filed for appeals all the way to the Supreme Court
![Page 16: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
WELL, AT THE END, WE LOST.
![Page 17: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
SO WHAT DID THE TRADEMARK OFFICE SAY NO TO?
MARK HOLDER DATE OF REG CLASSES
Supercell Oy 6, 9, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 41
CLASH OF CLANS Supercell Oy 6, 9, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 41
部落冲突 Supercell Oy 6, 9, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 41
REJECT
REJECT
ACCEPTAND REJECT
> The trademarks cause an unhealthy influence on the public and can’t be registered
6, 9, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 41
oo
![Page 18: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
BACKUP PLAN…
MARK HOLDER DATE OF REG CLASSES
CLASH Supercell Oy PENDING 9, 28, 41
CLANS Supercell Oy PENDING 9, 28, 41
Supercell Oy PENDING 9, 28, 41
Copyright registrations: Supercell Oy April 2016 N/A
![Page 19: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
SO ,WHAT ARE THE LEARNINGS?
![Page 20: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
SO, WHAT ARE THE LEARNINGS?
• Understand cultural differences!
• Decide on both EN and Simplified CN versions of your game name
• Check that your game name is available before you lock it
• File for EN and CN trademarks before you announce them
• Consider also to protect: game logo, company name
• Consider copyright registration for China
• Use an IP lawyer J
![Page 21: china war stories neogames · 2017-10-12 · 2015 September – Clash of Clans launched on Android in China. NO CONSISTENT BRANDING FOR CHINA • We didn’t have consistent Clash](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022042300/5ecb71fc0746fe0230439c75/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
THANK YOU!