Company disputes with Sony Interactive Entertainment
In a surprising turn of events, Stellarblade has filed a lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment and Stellar Blade developer, Shift Up, over the title of the game. The film production company based in Louisiana, established in 2010, has alleged trademark infringement against Sony and Shift Up.
Reason behind the lawsuit
According to a report from IGN, the lawsuit was initiated in September by Griffith Chambers Mehaffey, the owner of Stellarblade LLC. Mehaffey claims ownership of the stellarblade.com domain since 2006 and has been using it for business since 2011. Stellarblade LLC, a multimedia entertainment services provider, was founded in 2010.
Stellarblade and Mehaffey assert that when the game’s title was changed from Project Eve to Stellar Blade, Shift Up applied for a trademark for the new title. Subsequently, Mehaffey registered his own trademark and issued a cease and desist letter to the studio, citing his 15 years of business operations as Stellarblade. They argue that the online visibility of Mehaffey’s business has suffered due to customers being unable to find it amidst search results dominated by the game.
In light of these issues, Stellarblade and Mehaffey are now seeking damages. Their legal representative informed IGN that the defendants’ extensive resources have overshadowed search results for STELLARBLADE, causing Mehaffey’s established business to fade into digital obscurity and endangering his livelihood established over a decade.
As of now, Sony and Shift Up have not issued a response to the lawsuit.