Mythic Entertainment Inc., a game developer, on Monday suit against Microsoft for trademark infringement and unfair competition.
The title in question is Mythica, Microsofts forthcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Fairfax, Va.-based Mythic Entertainment is the developer of Dark Age of Camelot.
Mythics lawsuit claims that the resemblance between the two names, although the one refers to a game and the other refers to a game company, is likely to cause confusion in the marketplace. Its seeking a permanent injunction (i.e., a new name for Microsofts game) and economic remedies.
“We had hoped not to have to resolve this in court, and it is truly unfortunate that Microsoft declined to respect Mythics rights,” said Mythic president Mark Jacobs. “But our name and mark are among our most valuable assets. We have no choice but to defend them, regardless of the size and power of our adversary. We would expect Microsoft to react no differently if someone launched an operating system called Microsofta just as Microsoft did when confronted with an operating system called Lindows.”
When asked for comment, Microsoft representatives stated that the company will not comment on pending litigation.
The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the eastern district of Virginia.