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Zynga Bests Mattel in ‘Scramble With Friends’ Fight

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Zynga Bests Mattel in ‘Scramble With Friends’ Fight

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Zynga’s Scramble With Friends mobile game will live on, thanks to a British High Court decision.

U.K. Justice Peter Smith today ruled against Mattel’s claim that the word “Scramble” is too similar to the toy maker’s popular “Scrabble” brand.

He did, however, agree that Zynga’s use of the corkscrew letter “M” in the logo “gives the impression that the word is Scrabble when one looks at it quickly and has the propensity to confuse,” according to the filing(Opens in a new window).

Based on that addendum, Zynga will have to change the game’s now-recognizable logo, but not the title.

A Zynga spokeswoman declined to comment on the issue.

Mattel did not immediately respond to PCMag’s request for comment, but, as a spokesman told the BBC(Opens in a new window), the company is reveling in its small victory.

“We are pleased that the English High Court today affirmed Mattel’s request for an injunction against Zynga, finding that the similarities between their Scramble With Friends logo and Mattel’s intellectual property likely would confuse the public into thinking they were in fact downloading Scrabble,” a Mattel spokesman told the news site.

“We are, however, disappointed that the court did not rule that Zynga should cease using the Scramble name, which Mattel intends to appeal,” he said.

This case dates back to early 2012, when Mattel sued Zynga. Mattel
holds the U.K. Scrabble trademark; in the U.S. and Canada it’s under Hasbro’s name.

This isn’t Zynga’s first time at the trademark rodeo. In September, Zynga and the creators of the Bang With Friends app reached a deal whereby the “Bang” company will change its application’s name to avoid infringing on Zynga’s “With Friends” brand.

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