I may eat my words, but oh well, I hope Blizz has done all this just to make people think it. Its honestly getting old to see endless topics on the same thing over this over and over. Deep down inside me I hope all this is just a coverup by Blizz for something totally different.

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Umm you said "the patent covers not only computer games" - it's not a patent it's a trademark. and its the "Description of Goods and/or Services" that covers those items. Basically, Blizzards is claiming that mark as identification of the goods and/or services sold under that mark. Patents are a whole other ball game and not at all relevant here.

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Khaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnn!!!!

Dang it - say it ain't so...

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Coloring books? Are there really WOW coloring books? I knew that WOW had some young players, but geez - if people that are still dual-wielding Crayolas can play, then Blizz might want to buff the difficulty of the game a little.

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Greeting cards could be interesting. I suppose nothing says "Get well soon" or "Grats on the new baby" like a crazed taurean with a big freakin' axe...

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Um, is this really best practice to wait until the last moment to buy up a possible new franchise name? I think Blizzard has better business sense than that. This could very well be a smokescreen.

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Any lawyer types have any idea why Blizzard would need to file 3 patents for this when as far as I can tell, they only ever filed one for The Burning Crusade? Also, Blizzard have previously filed for the World of Warcraft trademark to cover greetings cards, as well as, interestingly, a hand held gaming unit. So it probably doesn't mean much.

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Watch, that Wrath of the Lich King is the next card game expansion and not the next WoW expansion. lol

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I am not a lawyer and my remarks are not legal advice nor do I represent Blizzard in any way shape or form. However, they aren't actually trademarks yet; they're applications for trademarks. The USPTO hasn't registered them as a mark yet. Which means that they may not get registered, and it also means that they don't have to use the trademark yet. For a mark to be registered it has to be in use in commerce, which this obviously isn't at the moment. Where it says Filing Basis 1B, it's an intent-to-use, which means that the USPTO won't allow the mark to register until they're using it in commerce.

So they may be there as a false trail; like some Harry Potter trademark applications were (such as HP and the Death Head's Plot, HP and the Curse of the Dementor, HP and the Hogsmeade Tomb etc which you can still search for on TESS).

Also: the reason for filing three is simple - for each description of goods, computer games, books, and guides, there are different international classes you must file in - so computer software class would be one, books class would be another etc. You can specify all three classes and descriptions in one application, or you can do one application per class. The reason is if the USPTO refuses one class it's much easier to simply drop that one application completely than it is to maintain a single application with multiple classes that could be refused or amended. So if the comic book class was refused, they wouldn't have to reapply with the software and guides classes.

Again, not a lawyer and I do not mean to act as one (sorry, gotta say it!)

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When people are registering trademarks, they just cast their net as wide as possible. It rarely means that they intend to create ALL those things, nor ONLY those things.

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well.. I better get my ass moving through outland then. Damn my hunter is lazy.

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In order to get a trademark registered at the US Patent and Trademark Office the mark has to be in use. You do not have to register a mark to be able to use it in commerce, but doing so gives you additional protection. If you apply for US trademark registration, you have to pay a seperate filing fee for each different type of goods and/or services. Each of the three registrations have a different scope of coverage. The standard for applying for a trademark is that you must have an intent to use the mark in commerce. So in all liklihood this is probably the way that Blizzard is going, otherwise its an expensive diversion (although admittedly, its not like they don't have the money). (Yeah I'm an IP attorney.)

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Delaney

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...quietly putting down my coloring book...

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ermmm... THE LINK IS BROKEN! and isnt appearing on search engine... i think the "sources" have been screwin you about

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Urrr... most kick-ass expansion ever? :D

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Simon you made my day.

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