Ubisoft wants EA to give up the 'ghost' in trademark battle

Ubisoft has filed an opposition against Electronic Arts' trademark application for the name "ghost," according to records kept by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Ubisoft motioned to block EA's trademark attempt on Jan. 29, according to the USPTO's opposition notice. Ubisoft cited its own ownership of the phrase "ghost recon" (as in games such as Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter) as the reason why EA's trademark should not go forward.

EA sent in two separate applications for "ghost" on March 18, 2015, as noted in Ubisoft's own filing. Ubisoft fought back several months later, receiving two extensions to formally oppose the trademarks in September and November. The November extension granted by the USPTO gave the publisher until the end of January 2016 to formally counter EA's move.

Ubisoft took particular issue with the fact that EA intends to use its trademark for video games and other entertainment software. These categories are "identical and highly related to the goods and services offered by [Ubisoft] in connection with the GHOST RECON marks," said Ubisoft.

It's not apparent what EA intends to use the trademark for, specifically, while Ubisoft has another Ghost Recon title — Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands — in the works. EA has until March 9 to respond to Ubisoft; if it does not, the case will be taken to a higher court of law.

When reached for comment, EA told Polygon that it doesn't "comment on ongoing legal matters." A request for comment from Ubisoft has not yet been returned.