When it comes to gaming, the word 'ghost' could mean many things: Blizzard's tragically cancelled StarCraft: Ghost game, Mario Kart time trial ghosts, even Ghost in the Shell. However, most gamers will likely gravitate to Ghost Recon, Ubisoft's long-running tactical shooter series, which is exactly why the megapublisher has decided to combat EA's attempted trademark of the word 'ghost' in relation to the gaming industry.
Yes, it's true: Electronic Arts, the studio responsible for games like Star Wars: Battlefront and Mirror's Edge, is trying to trademark the word 'ghost'. That being said, the trademark isn't in reference to any sort of upcoming game. The 'ghost' in question is actually one of EA's smaller studios - more specifically, Ghost Games, the developers behind last year's Need For Speed title.
So, if Electronic Arts isn't planning on making a game with 'ghost' in the title, why is Ubisoft so upset? According to Ubisoft's claim against EA, trademarking 'ghost' - even in reference to a business - would "cause confusion" with the publisher's Ghost Recon brand.
EA even attempting to trademark a common word may sound crazy, but it's hardly the first time that a company has tried to do something similar - just recently, Sony tried to copyright the term 'let's play.' While that claim was quickly shot down, EA's claim for the word 'ghost' hasn't met with much opposition ... until now, that is.
Ubisoft's move against EA may seem random at first, but it's likely due to the fact that Ghost Recon: Wildlands is possibly set for release later this year. As the first console release in the series since 2012's Future Soldier, it makes sense that Ubisoft would want to keep its brand recognizable, though filing a claim against a single, relatively small studio may be jumping the gun a bit.
For the time being, the ball is in EA's court: the publisher has until March 9 to respond to Ubisoft's dispute. Until then, you can read the full notice of opposition (just be ready for some serious legalese).
