According to this article, Sony Computer Entertainment of America is trying to trademark the term "Let's Play". They describe it as: "electronic transmission and streaming of video games via global and local computer networks; streaming of audio, visual, and audiovisual material via global and local computer networks."

K

So how on Earth are they going to enforce that trademark? Taking down every video on the internet that uses the term "Let's play"?

Even the American patent office should have a good laugh at that description.

Uhg.....am I the only one that thinks giant corporations and celebritys should not have the right to trademark something that is in common use already and that they in no way invented?

This reminds me that Marvel used to have a trademark over the word "Zombie", but it was so hard to enforce those rights (because it's a word of common use) that they just abandoned it after 20 years. They instead trademarked "Marvel Zombie" to defend their zombie lineup of comics, that was way easier to defend.

Of course Sony can trademark 'Let's Play' if they want to, just as Nike can trade mark 'Just Do It' or Microsoft 'Dew It Right'..

Here Microsoft has trademarked 'the coalition':

https://www.tmdn.org/tmview/get-detail?st13=WO500000001276871

People that take issue with this probably just have no idea what a trademark is.

I presume they'll just enforce it for their own properties. Nintendo patenting loads of stuff they obviously didn't invent for their NX so it seems pretty common.

Sounds as stupid as King trying to trademark "Saga" and the lawsuit they had to try and make The Banner Saga change its name.

still better than the time Apple tried to patent "Multitouch"