EA sues EA over logo.

[RedSox44]

Kotaku article

If you don't want to go off-site, the long and short of it is that internationally famous California-based video game company Electronic Arts (commonly known as EA) is suing upstart Florida-based fitness company Energy Armor over their logo and the use of athletes in advertising materials (I'll get to that in a sec).

The logos do look very similar, and upon first glance I thought that Energy Armor logo was the current Electronic Arts logo, then I thought it was an update Electronic Arts logo and then I realized it's a completely different company. In my humble opinion, the logos are very similar.

Electronic Arts are also suing Energy Armor's use of athletes in it's advertising materials -- which can be expected from a fitness company (if you don't know, Electronic Arts makes the majority of sports video games, and -- naturally -- uses professional athletes in IT'S advertising materials).

I'm not so sure about the second part, but from my stand point it appears to be a slam-dunk on Electronic Arts' part for logo infringement.

Electronic Arts is sounding a bit douchey by demanding Energy Armor destroy any materials associated with the logo, damages and "all profits generated by Energy Armor using this logo". Which is probably all profit generated by Energy Armor, because as far as I can tell this is Energy Armor's only logo.

What do you guys think?

[Jimmy!]

I would think the use of athletes would be more of an issue between the companies and those individuals contracted to endorse their product.

As for the logo? Yeah, they're similar.

[sc49erfan15]

They're definitely similar, but I'm not sure if they're similar enough to warrant all this.

Slightly off-track, I never figured out why EA Sports switched logos back in the late '90s. Not a whole lot changed, but apparently they decided it was necessary?

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[BBTV]

Kind of funny that a company who started off with a logo based on ESPN's is upset on a company with a logo kindasorta similar to theirs.

[DelayedPenalty]

Italicized E, incomplete A that contains a similar triangular shape...Yeah, I'd call that infrindgement. Take off the Energy Armor below and it could very well be seen as an upgrade of Electronic Arts' logo.

[RedSox44]

I would think the use of athletes would be more of an issue between the companies and those individuals contracted to endorse their product.

As for the logo? Yeah, they're similar.

For the part of the suit dealing with athlete's endorsements, I think that's just EA being it's normal, douchey self. EA's infamous in the video game community for pulling shenanigans like this.

They're definitely similar, but I'm not sure if they're similar enough to warrant all this.

Slightly off-track, I never figured out why EA Sports switched logos back in the late '90s. Not a whole lot changed, but apparently they decided it was necessary?

to

Perhaps to align themselves more broadly with the non-sports division of Electronic Arts?

Kind of funny that a company who started off with a logo based on ESPN's is upset on a company with a logo kindasorta similar to theirs.

I never thought the EASN logo looked similar to the ESPN logo, and the two names really didn't sound similar to me, at least. I find Energy Armor's logo way more similar to Electronic Arts' logo than EASN's ever did to ESPN's.

Italicized E, incomplete A that contains a similar triangular shape...Yeah, I'd call that infrindgement. Take off the Energy Armor below and it could very well be seen as an upgrade of Electronic Arts' logo.

I'd consider it a downgrade (though the lightning does make it more electronic) but that's just my opinion. I also think it falls into the grounds of copyright infringement.

[drdougfresh]

I think EA's issue with the athletes is that arguably their most prominent division (EA Sports) is associated with athletes. They could make quite a case against Energy Armor, using the logo as support-- it's pretty hard to argue that this is not using the brand equity EA (and its athletes) already has in order to gain a profit for Energy Armor.

EDIT: After looking at Energy Armor's site, puhleeze. Logo infringement, sure. Athletes? David Garrard? AFL? Random stock car racing? The athlete thing is a weak argument.

[aci]

Meh, I think a line has to be drawn somewhere, and in this case, I think Energy Armor should be able to continue using their logo. Do they have similarities? Yeah, obviously. But I don't think Energy Armor intentionally copied EA Sports, nor do I think they're benefitting from having a logo that looks similar. Nobody is saying "Hey, I bet that's where the NBA players train!" or "Hey, I bet that's where the NBA players play video games!", and signing up for a membership. They have the same initials and the like italics. Woohoo.

[raysox]

Some of my friends sell the Energy Armor bands at the mall, and I always thought they looked similar.

[Cola]

I dunno about the case, but that curve on top of the "A" in the Energy Armor logo really kills it...almost like they did it to AVOID being similar to the Electronic Arts logo.

[Viper]

Kind of funny that a company who started off with a logo based on ESPN's is upset on a company with a logo kindasorta similar to theirs.

Sort of like the NFL, which once sued the short-lived CFL incarnation of the Baltimore Colts over their use of that name at the same time they were defending the Jacksonville Jaguars' original logo against the Jaguar automaker.

[DrJack]

EA is just mad because some little energy company has a cooler logo than they do. I like that Energy Armor (DUMB NAME) logo a lot!

[GFB]

Electronic Arts has a case. The way the E is constructed, leaning on a Pyramid A, it's fairly obvious that the E-Armor logo was "inspired" by the Electronic Arts logo. The courts are not going to look at little differences like different fonts or extras like lightning bolts. They will see the same basic construction of the same letters and that will be enough.

[aawagner011]

I think it boils down to how the existence of the Energy Armor brand and logo affect EA Sports. I'm in a Legal Studies course right now, and based on the things I'm currently learning, I would hazard a guess at the following:

1) The Energy Armor logo could possibly cause brand dilution to EA Sports identity

2) Establish confusion amongst consumers over which logo is representative of which company. It may lead to people assuming it is a newer, updated EA Sports logo.

3)Trade dress (not using the same trademark), but that the Energy Armor logo attempts to model itself in a way which is reflective of EA Sports.

They are both extremely similar, and while the Armor logo does not directly compete with EA Sports in the same market(which would cause more confusion), you will probably see something happen in response to brand dilution to EA Sports or trade dress. Just my educated (from class! ) guess.

[drdougfresh]

I think it boils down to how the existence of the Energy Armor brand and logo affect EA Sports. I'm in a Legal Studies course right now, and based on the things I'm currently learning, I would hazard a guess at the following:

1) The Energy Armor logo could possibly cause brand dilution to EA Sports identity

2) Establish confusion amongst consumers over which logo is representative of which company. It may lead to people assuming it is a newer, updated EA Sports logo.

3)Trade dress (not using the same trademark), but that the Energy Armor logo attempts to model itself in a way which is reflective of EA Sports.

They are both extremely similar, and while the Armor logo does not directly compete with EA Sports in the same market(which would cause more confusion), you will probably see something happen in response to brand dilution to EA Sports or trade dress. Just my educated (from class! ) guess.

BINGO. And I think that's what Facebook is up against right now with a legal battle with timelines.com. Same issue of brand dilution-- but saying Facebook building off the brand of timelines.com is a bit backwards.

Anyway, couldn't have said it better myself.

[WJMorris3]

I think EA has every right to go after any other company that tries to advertise with those initials. It's just like the University of Washington or the University of Wisconsin going after groups that try to use a "W" as their logo.

[SHaMROCK]

They're definitely similar, but I'm not sure if they're similar enough to warrant all this.

Slightly off-track, I never figured out why EA Sports switched logos back in the late '90s. Not a whole lot changed, but apparently they decided it was necessary?

to

When did EA change the "A" from a star shape to just an "A"? I never noticed that, I looked at all my EA SPORTS games (Genesis, Saturn era) and the all have the star.

[sc49erfan15]

Kind of funny that a company who started off with a logo based on ESPN's is upset on a company with a logo kindasorta similar to theirs.

Was the "EASN" thing ever actually a brand? I just remember it being in the games (Super Nintendo-era) where the scores would come up on "EASN" - obviously a play on ESPN, but I always thought it was tongue-in-cheek.

As for when they switched, it was sometime around the late '90s.

[SHaMROCK]

I checked all the Madden NFL and NHL Hockey series covers on Wikipedia and both Madden and NHL used the EASN logo in '91 '92 '93. Earlier Madden games used the original Electronic Arts logo they used for non sports titles. NHL Hockey changed from the EA "Star" logo to the plain "A" with NHL 2000 and Madden NFL 2000 used the EA "star" logo and Madden NFL 2001 switched to the plain "A".

[ColeJ]

nhl99 had the star logo... nhl 2000 had the new logo.