‘The War Z’ Creators Face Trademark Suspension

The creators behind the embattled zombie video game The War Z have reportedly had their trademark suspended by the United States government.

If these rumors are to be believed, then the folks at Hammerpoint Interactive have faced yet another setback regarding their highly-anticipated undead shooter. According to Joystiq, the game’s trademark has been suspended due to the similarities between it and an upcoming Brad Pitt movie.

Since Paramount Pictures feels The War Z is a little too close to its forthcoming summer flick World War Z, the US Patent and Trademark Office has reportedly suspended the trademark. This could ultimately force Hammerpoint to change the name of its latest creation.

However, War Z creator Sergey Titov reached out to Kotaku to set the record straight. According to him, the trademark for the same has not been suspended by anyone.

Titov told the website:

“This is our actual trademark. I assume what you see is one of the preliminary applications since it said that it suspended because other application exist.”

However, a trip to the War Z application at the US Patent and Trademark Office website reveals that the trademark has been suspended by the organization. The date stamped on the application is November 15, 2012. The site even includes the complete suspension letter issued to Hammerpoint Interactive.

Titov told Kotaku that he intends to investigate the matter shortly. An updated response to the trademark suspension rumor is expected after the game’s creator conducts his own investigation into the matter.

News of The War Z’s troubles at the patent office arrive just days after the game was yanked from Steam following complaints that the title failed to deliver the features it promised. Titov told PC Gamer that the whole snafu was likely a simple miscommunication.

The developer said of Steam’s decision:

“Yes, we think this is the best way to serve their customers and we respect their decision. As you know we’ve been publicly available since October 15. Over that time I think we got used to and took it for granted that players knew what state the game was in and how it was a constantly evolving project, with new features being added on and ongoing basis.”

It’s currently unknown when or if War Z will return to Valve’s gaming service in the future. What do you think about Hammerpoint Interactive’s numerous problems with its zombie game?