Watch Dogs trademark abandonment fraudulently filed, Ubisoft claims

Watch Dogs has become the centre of a trademark battle as Ubisoft works to counter what it claims is a fraudulently filed abandonment.

Earlier today, reports emerged that Ubisoft had officially abandoned a trademark for Watch Dogs.

While the request for abandonment certainly exists, Ubisoft has filed a petition to the director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office claiming it was filed fraudulently.

"On February 1, 2014, Ubisoft Entertainment received an email from TEAS@uspto.gov notifying Ubisoft Entertainment that a Request for Express Abandonment had been filed in connection with Application Serial No. 85642398. The Request for Express Abandonment purports to be signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft Entertainment, Yves Guillemot," Ubisoft wrote.

"Mr. Guillemot, however, did not sign the Request for Express Abandonment, nor did Ubisoft Entertainment file the Request for Express Abandonment. The Request for Express Abandonment is fraudulent and was not filed by Ubisoft Entertainment or its representative."

As the abandonment has not yet been issued, Ubisoft has quite sensibly requested the specific Watch Dogs trademark not be abandoned at all.

Watch Dogs is due on PC, PlayStation 3, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in the second quarter.

Thanks, games.on.net.