King Digital Entertainment PLC, the creator of Candy Crush Saga, a mobile game, has abandoned its pursuit of trademarking the word “candy.” Ownership of such a trademark would allow King exclusive rights to use the word in video games, merchandise, and more.

In January of 2014, King was approved for the trademark ownership of “candy” which it applied for in February of 2013. A little more than a month later, King has applied for trademark abandonment. A spokesman for King stated:

King has withdrawn its trademark application for Candy in the U.S., which we applied for in February 2013 before we acquired the early rights to Candy Crusher. Each market that King operates in is different with regard to IP. We feel that having the rights to Candy Crusher is the best option for protecting Candy Crush in the U.S. market. This does not affect our E.U. trademark for Candy and we continue to take all appropriate steps to protect our IP.

When a trademark is abandoned, the former owner loses any and all rights to raise any claims or defenses under trademark law. As a result, King does not have any exclusive rights to the word “candy.”

Because of the backlash associated with King’s trademark application, one cannot help but wonder what its true intentions were. With a $500 Million initial public offering at stake, the public’s perception is vital.

Topics: Intellectual Property