Sony Reportedly Opposed US Registration of Hong Kong-Based Studio Naughty Cat
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Key points
- Sony has reportedly opposed Naughty Cat’s application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
- The company cited that the studio’s name is too similar to Naughty Dog.
- Naughty Cat’s games lean more toward gambling.
IGN revealed that Naughty Dog’s owners, Sony, have opposed the registration of Naughty Cat in the US. Sony allegedly did not like the idea of the studio registering its name at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) due to how similar the two names are.
According to documents reviewed by IGN, Sony mentioned that the first word of the name is identical, and the second word refers to household pets. If the studio is allowed to register its name, it might confuse consumers and lead them to believe that the studio is related to Naughty Dog and Sony.
IGN’s report said that the USPTO has already made a schedule for the two parties to resolve the dispute. Naughty Cat has until July 12 to provide an answer to Sony’s opposition. If the studio chooses not to reply, the application will be considered abandoned, and Sony will win. If they do, there is a possibility of a trial happening in 2026 aimed at resolving the conflict.
Naughty Cat is a game studio based in Hong Kong. It doesn’t have much of a social media presence, and its games lean more toward gambling. The studio only has two games currently, and both of them are in the App Store: Cash Trip: Solitaire & Bingo and Bubble Bravo – Win Real Cash.
