Sony Trademark for Let’s Play Denied by USPTO

Last week, the keen-eyed gamer sleuths on the Internet found out that Sony had applied for the registration of a trademark for "Let's Play." The term is of course in common use and refers to game videos in which a streamer plays a game for others to watch. Specifically, it refers to the pre-recorded game streams one might find on YouTube—the stuff PewDiePie and NorthernLion create.

As we noted in our previous report, the trademark is intended to cover "Electronic transmission and streaming of video games via global and local computer networks; streaming of audio, visual, and audiovisual material via global and local computer networks."

Basically, Sony was trying to lay claim over any videos that are dubbed Let's Play. The filing was made by Sony on October 28 and discovered by users on NeoGAF last week.

Today, we have learned that the US Patent and Trademark Office has denied Sony its application due to similarity with another trademark called "LP Let'z Play." Their reasoning can be read here. Sony has six months to respond to the ruling and make a case for their trademark.

It remains to be seen what Sony will do in the coming weeks and months.