Last month, Ubisoft renamed Gods and Monsters to Immortals Fenyx Rising. The reason given was that the new name represented the game’s themes better than the original. However, recently uncovered legal documents have revealed that Ubisoft might have been telling porkies. First reported by Tech Raptor, these documents tell us that Ubisoft have been in an ongoing legal dispute with Monster Energy over the summer. The drinks company has put forward that the title Gods and Monsters infringes on their trademark, and might confuse customers.
Ubisoft has obviously denied all the allegations made by Monster Energy. The developer has fired back by denying that Monster’s branding isn’t all that famous. They’ve also pointed out that many other trademarks out there contain the word “monster”, not just in the games industry. The two companies engaged in settlement talks over the summer which, before today, was where the story came to a halt. Since Ubisoft have changed the name to Immortals Fenyx Rising, we can safely assume both companies settled.
No matter your opinion on Ubisoft, you have to feel for them here. Clearly the game has nothing to do with the energy drink, and it feels like Monster Energy is wielding its trademarks very strictly. It’s always a sad situation when a company files a trivial trademark dispute and comes out victorious. Likely Ubisoft just didn’t want to take the issue to court, but it sets an unsettling precedent. If Monster Energy is claiming against Ubisoft, it makes others think twice about naming their products. Let’s pour one out for the Monster Hunter franchise.
