MoP Filing From A Trademark Attorney's Point of View

[Bender]

Even if the expansion title happen to be Mists of Pandaria you people still don't know shit about what's going to be in it, just relax.

[Deleted]

The MoP deniers are becoming as ridiculously desperate as the climate change deniers clinging to bizarre fragments of hope that reality is just an illusion. Anyone sane looking at the overall picture will inevitably see that MoP is making a ton of sense plus having an extremely strong indication speaking for it, while the opposite would make no sense and have virtually nothing speaking for it except that MoP isn't "proven" with 100.0000% certainty.

MoP is the next expansion with a likelihood far far outweighing the likelihood it isn't. Simple as that.

---------- Post added 2011-09-27 at 04:52 PM ----------

they know very well that half of their player base hates these stupid Kung Fu Pandas.

Source for that statistic? Or did you just pull it randomly out of your butt?

My personal guestimate is that about 1% of the WoW population "hate" pandaren, 20% love them, and 79% are either oblivious or have no firm opinion about something they haven't even seen yet. Most of the haters will calm down when they realize that Pandaren is just an NPC race no more significant than the tuskarr or vrykul or tol'vir, and quitting WoW because they are hating one of those races would be just as stupid as quitting WoW because of pandaren.

[LordRayken]

To deny the expansion is one thing,

But then to call someone else's research "opinion" because you don't even know what the distinctions of what you're talking about is just looking to argue over nothing in the first place, and it's laughably annoying.

The expansion IS Mists of Pandaria, and it's trademarked so they can package it and sell it. Regardless of what Wraths' Trademark was, the official Wrath BlizzCon was 2008, not 2007.


And to everyone else who keeps saying "Kung Fu Pandas", you do realize you're FAR more immature than anyone who wants Pandaren, right? No one who wants Pandaren want "Kung Fu Pandas". They want badass martial artists, they want drunken brawlers that can own you while tipsy and breathe fire from the alcohol, and they want huge snarling bear men with claws and fangs.

The only culture thats entirely absent from WoW is Asian. Give it a rest already. Pandas are cool animals. Theres nothing "childish" about a bear punching people in the face next to a drooling ogre with a club bashing things. WE already have Furbolgs, and those are just Grizzly Bears on two legs that live in the forest.

[Yoda11]

1) blizzard will most likely reveal the next expansion at blizzcon
2) If they do they would trademark the name before blizzcon
3) they have trademarked MoP
4) Blizzard has not announced anything yet
5) Blizzard employees could be sitting in their offices right now laughing at our attempts to turn their successful attempt at trolling into an inductive argument
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion: We can not be reasonably sure that MoP will be the name of the expansion.

(also as a side note: If MoP were to be the next expansion then Pandaren would never be a playable race. Imagine this expansion being named "Cataclysm of the Worgen" or something like that. Blizz would not screw a faction out of the spotlight. Plus I would love to play Pandaren xD.

why do people still think pandaria is a little small island that only have pandas on there. And its also mist of PANDARIA not mist of pandarens so its technically about the land mass and not the race. Just as cataclysm is about the land mass of azeroth and its cataclysmic event. im not saying that they will make pandarens playable, but there is more to pandaria then pandarens. i personally hope for a monk class that heals and does melle combat without weapons or just fist weapons and staves.

[Berzerkerfury]

I think the strongest comments I see posted are (1) Blizzard HAS to have this trademark filing months prior to Blizzcon because it takes so much time, (2) outside vendors can't be privy to an item without a trademark and (3) this MoP website.

This first point is just nonsense. Saying they have to file any name months in advance, whether it's because anyone thinks it takes that long or not, is just not right. Because this title is still not public consumption, they don't need to have anything trademarked yet, yes even this close to Blizzcon. They still have three full weeks to file something new under the BLIZZARD title if that's something they want to do. The only thing they necessarily want to do is have that trademark before they make the name public. That is all. Others have pointed to the date of the filing, again, this means nothing. Look at Starcraft II, they trademarked the next two expansions in 2008 which is far earlier than any WoW title related to its release, so to point to any particular filing date is meaningless. And I do agree that this could be moot as evidently they could potentially put a title under another random company name to avoid the Cata leak drama.

As for the second point, I believe that due to their vast resources they could print a majority of their materials in-house (if you have any Blizzcon docs saved, see if there is anything about a print shop, I’d be interested to know). Given the secretive nature of what they do, why risk sending anything outside the company when they can simply print everything themselves? This is certainly conjecture on my part, but they undoubtedly have the money, staff and space to do it. And again, they wouldn't need MONTHS of lead time, they could do it the week before or even days before as is often the case when putting on an event (ask any PR person who handles these types of things, it's ALWAYS last minute with printing).

Again, I’m not saying that MoP isn’t something at all, just that it may not be the expansion. Additionally, the MoP website being discussed wouldn’t make a lot of sense as an expansion website as all the Blizzard titles are connected with the Battle.net website. The registration of that domain could simply be protection on the part of Blizzard to stop scammers from preying on those who are jumping to these conclusions based on the discovery of the trademark filing.

So we have a filing for sure but I have to ask, what other hard evidence exists that gives cause for myself and others to be condemned for not being completely sold on MoP and are instead keeping an eye open? There's always been little nods to the Panderan (the in-game pet, the Brewmaster achieve icon, the statue on the pre-sale) but these are all little fun items that are part of the Blizzard culture as a whole and I don't think in any way are meant to be hints at something greater. Somethign else to keep in mind, Blizzard still has another game left to reveal outside of the expansion and Titan as on the jobs page they have listed "Unannounced Game Title." As Kuato once said, "Open your mind."

[Thage]

Unless you can actually find it, that's no proof.

Also, there is such a thing as a working title. Just because they might have called it worldbreaker at one point doesn't mean that they ever intended to release it as such.

For example: Cloverfield was once called Greyshot in production, after the name of the bridge the final scene takes place under.

[Crashdummy]

Let me start by saying I'm no patent lawyer.. but why do people assume that if the expansion gets leaked before blizzard patents it that some random person will then have rights to the name? It simply doesn't work like that, if blizzard could prove that they had been working on that project/ with that name(really shouldn't be to hard if it is the next expansion) before the other person filled then it would be blizzards. Look up the patent for laser.. as long as u can prove u did it first then you shouldn't have to worry. Not saying it wont be the next expansion just saying the idea some random group/ person could patent it once it got leaked is absurd.

If the ones that leaked make even some minor game where that name fits and they patented then Blizzard loses the name UNLESS Blizzards proves it was stolen, which is almost imposible.

It would take days to anydeveloping company to make a mini browser game which makes sense.

So no, if the name gets leaked and some other company takes it, then Blizzard is screwed.

[Judge Malthred]

I think all the speculating and nerdraging is enormously entertaining to read, I am mostly leaning towards MoP being the expansion as they have not filed a trade mark for anything else yet but I have no idea what that window of action is.

[LordRayken]

Additionally, the MoP website being discussed wouldn’t make a lot of sense as an expansion website as all the Blizzard titles are connected with the Battle.net website. The registration of that domain could simply be protection on the part of Blizzard to stop scammers from preying on those who are jumping to these conclusions based on the discovery of the trademark filing.

www.worldofwarcraft.com redirects you to their website...

Also, http://who.godaddy.com/whois.aspx?do...rog_id=GoDaddy

"Created on: 31-Jul-07"

Wrath of the Lich King Trademark:
"July 28, 2007"

The domain registration dates definitely concur with the registering of trademarks. Mists was just registered early this time.

But NAH... Let's go with your method of reasoning.

Blizzard bought the domain for Mists of Pandaria two days before they filed the Trademark because AFTER they announced the trademark, peoples rumors sparked their desire to BUY THE DOMAIN that they already bought before they filed the Trademark, because after they filed the Trademark they don't want scammers and rumors being made...

Wait. What? = Your logic.

[Crashdummy]

Also, since Pandarian is an isle, Mist of Pandarian could be about the Nagas attacking Pandarian, which would make even greater sense.

I am not yet convinced MoP will be the next expansion, Blizzard still has a couple of weeks to fill the trademark for another title, but if they have another Title, they WILL fill a form before doing it public (and they need to give at least 4 days to print all the stuff without risking a leak).

We will have to wait, but every day it pases makes more sense that MoP is the new expansion.

[Cronos]

*snip*
So we have a filing for sure but I have to ask, what other hard evidence exists that gives cause for myself and others to be condemned for not being completely sold on MoP and are instead keeping an eye open?
*snip*

The problem are the people that don't keep an eye open and are instead in denial. They have no proof at all, that Mists of Pandaria is not the next expansion yet some keep stating their opinion/wishful thinking as fact.

If you ask me, I would say it is the next expansion, but I'm only like 99% sure of that, still keeping an open mind and eye 'cause it could be otherwise. Other stuff besides the TM and site that makes me incline even more towards my opinion, is the way the question was avoided (was it Chilton or some other dude at blizz?), although I can see how that could go either way.

[LordRayken]

The problem are the people that don't keep an eye open and are instead in denial. They have no proof at all, that Mists of Pandaria is not the next expansion yet some keep stating their opinion/wishful thinking as fact.

If you ask me, I would say it is the next expansion, but I'm only like 99% sure of that, still keeping an open mind and eye 'cause it could be otherwise. Other stuff besides the TM and site that makes me incline even more towards my opinion, is the way the question was avoided (was it Chilton or some other dude at blizz?), although I can see how that could go either way.

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Claiming somethings not there because theres no evidence is one thing.

But claiming Mists of Pandaria is NOT the next expansion when everything in its description tells us its an entirely new game for Computer OR the WoW expansion... Well, that's when things get retarded.

Unless this is the mystery 5th game Blizzard has been working on, that's not Titan. But yeah - Since Pandaria is a location in WoW, it's definitely WoW related.

[Weerra]

MoP is the next expansion name.

Ill track down every forum user on MMO-C that said that it wont be.Then Im gonna make humiliation thread.

There already is "I Told You So!" thread about MoP =)

[k8e]

(also as a side note: If MoP were to be the next expansion then Pandaren would never be a playable race. Imagine this expansion being named "Cataclysm of the Worgen" or something like that. Blizz would not screw a faction out of the spotlight. Plus I would love to play Pandaren xD.

well, they're definitely not looking to have to balance an entirely new class again so it's reasonable to assume there will be a new race in MoP. you're right that they wouldn't name the expac after a race that only one faction gets, so clearly the answer is pandaran are a playable race on both factions!

[Bitlovin]

smells like maple nut crunch

Nice reference.

[Cronos]

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Exactly my point

[Ceethemage]

Everyone is going to want to believe what they want to believe. The people in denial will be in denial until the expansion is released. Cute and cuddly pandas is a stereotype of what they think blizzard is going to do. The concept art, and the lore with them is absolutely awesome and the battle pics are by far not "cute and cuddly".



I personally feel MoP will be announced at Blizzcon, there is a lot of facts backing up the probability of MoP at least for me. The Trademark, The website, etc. I got the online feed because unfortunately I could not get tickets. So I am going to have a party a MoP party during blizzcon on the 2nd day and a MoP release party when the x-pack is launched. If MoP isn't the next expansion well I will eat my hat. Will I be upset if its not MoP? No I will be just as excited to see a new expansion pack.

[Vasti]

It's gonna be called MoP and I don;t get whats so bad about it. Wrath of the Gods, sounds like a Clash of the Titans rip-off.
Mists of Pandaria is a perfectly acceptable name.
Better than Wrath of the Lich King even.

And if they were going for another name eventually, why even trademark MoP then if it won;t be used? Makes 0 sense :S

[mvaliz]

Here we are a month away from Blizzcon and many appear to be preparing for a potential inundation of black and white samurai bears...

<snip>

Samurai = Japanese, not Chineese

If you want to start off a well written article presenting a counterpoint, it's important to have the very first sentence be accurate.

Just saying. :P

[LordRayken]

If they were going to trademark a name like "6 days before BlizzCon" I don't see why they would have ever trademarked Mists of Pandaria either. I also don't see why the domain name for that SPECIFIC 3 letter title would have been registered two days before, also.

They have been hinting that Pandaren are going to play a major role soon for a long long time.

Katricia posted ""Do pandarens exist in World of Warcraft? Maybe they will be found in the beta or retail version of the game and maybe they will be granted a special place in an expansion."

"Lead Game Designer Jeff Kaplan directly addressed the Pandaren in this xfire video interview. He says the Pandaren were definitely in consideration, are one of Blizzard's favorite races, but were not chosen for the Burning Crusade expansion because they didn't fit well with Outland."

There's like a bazillion hints throughout WoWs history.

The best one is:

Their possible appearance in WoW has been hinted at multiple times by Blizzard. Katricia: "Maybe they will be found in the beta or retail version of the game and maybe they will be granted a special place in an expansion. Just imagine how exciting it will be to find one!" and "pandaren will not be a playable race ... at this time. Will they make cameo appearances in the game as NPCs? Some things are best left unanswered I think "