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Watch Dogs Trademark Reinstated After Fraudulent Abandonment
Earlier this week, we reported that a one of six Watch Dogs trademarks held by Ubisoft had allegedly been abandoned. After speaking with Ubisoft, we were able to report definitively that the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s report had no bearing on the game’s development and that the publisher was seeking reinstatement.
Today, the USPTO approved Ubisoft’s petition to reclaim the Watch Dogs trademark. The letter submitted by Ubisoft attorneys Fish and Richardson, P.C. states that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot did not request the abandonment.
While the incident will remain part of the trademark record, it will have no impact on the reinstatement or the status going forward. Watch Dogs was first announced at E3 2012, and as development progressed, it was confirmed for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC.
The game was delayed in October 2013 just one month in advance of its schedule release alongside the PlayStation 4. As of now, Ubisoft has announced no changes in development. The title is planned for a 2014 release.
Our Take
And so ends this chapter of the odd development tale of Watch Dogs. Stay tuned for our next episode, when we hopefully learn when the game will be coming out, so all of the rumors about platform cancelations can be put to rest.
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