unexpectedly move, furniture giant Ikea stop a lone indie developer and give up letter reviewed by my boxdemanding that he make changes to himself unpublished A survival horror game set in an Ikea-like furniture store. lawyers representing Ikea claims that the game is trademark infringement because some media outlets made comparisons between their official brands and the game. this The Swedish firm gave developer Jacob Shaw just ten days to “change the game and remove all signs of famous Ikea stores.”
Store is closed is an unreleased co-op survival game, this is only the last week Successful Kickstarter campaign this has increased to just over $49,000. Created by a lone developer using the studio name Ziggy, the game describes itself as “taking place in an endless furniture store”.
“You will need to craft weapons and build fortifications to survive the night,” the whitepaper continues. “Explore the underground SCP labs and build towers in the sky to find a way out.” You know, like in a real Ikea? Most notably, the word “Ikea” was never mentioned – nowhere – in any of the game’s promotional materials on Steam during the Kickstarter campaign.
But despite that, and the game being absolutely nowhere for sale, Ikea’s New York attorneys, Fross Zelnick, wrote a letter to Shaw demanding that he completely replace anything in the game that might remind people of their brand.
“Our client found out that you are developing a video game,”Store is closed‘” the legal letter explains, “which uses signs associated with famous IKEA stores without our client’s consent.”
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He then goes on to list the violating aspects of Shaw’s game.
“Your game is in the store with a blue and yellow sign with a Scandinavian name, a blue box-like building, the same yellow vertical striped shirts that IKEA staff wear, a gray path on the floor, furniture that looks like IKEA furniture, and product signs that look like IKEA signage. All of the above immediately indicates that the game is taking place in an IKEA store.”
Shaw gave me access to the early alpha build of the game, during which the “blue box-like building” and the “blue and yellow marker” appeared as a whole on the menu screen. After that you don’t see them. There is currently no branding in the game. called the store “STIR.” It’s clear that “SHOP” was written as a joke, incidentally, a Swedish word meaning “checks”. you know what immortality A Swedish word? “Ikea.” The initials of its founder, a farm where he grew up, and a nearby village. In particular, stores like Tiffany’s have a trademark on the color they use on their packaging, so in some ways Ikea isn’t completely out of left field here.
Then there are the claims he has. “Furniture that looks like Ikea furniture.” But Shaw objects that he designed any furniture with Ikea in mind. “I bought general furniture…