Sony’s ‘Let’s Play’ trademark registration denied by officials

Sony is trying to register a trademark 'Let's Play' and it has fueled discussions on the Internet. The trademark application from Sony Computer Entertainment of America was filed in October 2015.

Sony’s steps for trademarking 'Let’s Play' is construed as a way to represent the people playing video games. The application filed by Sony for the trademark has sparked many speculations including the one that suggests Sony wants to use 'Let's Play' as part of the company’s PlayStation 4 streaming service.

The trademark filing for 'Let’s Play' was found by a NeoGaf user. The filing reveals that it aims to a service regarding electronic transmission and streaming of video games via global and local computer networks.

In simple terms, Sony is looking to use 'Let's Play' as its trademark in reference to streaming of video games. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Sony's request has been refused because it is too confusing to an already registered trademark. The letter released by the department states that 'LP Let’z Play' is an existing trademark and Sony’s 'Let’s Play' sounds very similar to the registered one. The similarity between the names led to the refusal of Sony’s request for the new trademark 'Let’s Play.'

USPTO’s refusal letter also states that Sony has six months of time to respond to the letter. It means that Sony still has time to fight USPTO’s refusal and the company can try to find a way to get the trademark registered. If it happens, it's possible that Sony could prevent competitors like Nintendo and Microsoft from using the term' Let’s Play' with their game streaming or broadcasting services.

If Sony acquires the trademark, there may be some interesting things to see in the coming future for Sony’s games. Among them is the outcome of how this trademark would affect forums and video streaming services like YouTube that doesn’t directly compete with Sony.