Random: Here’s Why Nintendo Doesn’t Want You To Use The Word “Nintendo” To Describe Video Games

If you’ve been scouring the internet for as long as we have, you may have come across a 1990 Nintendo store poster, editing their users’ usage of the word “Nintendo”.

Although this ad can be seen while Mario is giving your grandma a grammar lesson, when this image first appeared on the internets, it was dismissed as common fanfare. by Nintendo; an arrogant company telling the fan base what they can and can’t do.

However, it has, there is more private reason for existence.

Now, one might think, “Surely calling everything ‘Nintendo’ would be very beneficial for Big N? It’s free advertising and gives competitors an opportunity.” And, yes, while it would be more beneficial to weed out competitor products, in the world of trademark law it really is the worst What can happen to a company?

You see, in order to receive a trademark for your product, service, or company, the mark must be high particular word or words to describe it. For example, you can never label the term “video game” because it is not only an extremely broad term to begin with, it is also part of the public vocabulary; a phrase that people use to describe vehicles.

This all stems from the US Fritz G. Lanham Trademark Act of 1946, where section 15 provides:

(4) does not have an inalienable right to a mark that is the generic name of goods or services or part thereof, for which it is registered.

In other words, that is, as long as your trademark is unique, and rest Only, you are gold!

However, unfortunately for businesses, the English language is a language continuity develop and expand. Even in the last twenty years, many product names have become part of dictionaries. When you use a vacuum cleaner, do you call it “Hoover”? Do you use “Cello-tape” or “sticky tape”? How often do you see an image you suspect is fake online and say “That image was taken” or when asking for information, switch to “Google that image”?

And like Nintendo, both Adobe and Google have made public requests to ask users to change their spelling, fearing they would suffer similar damage.

So when a word has been trademarked do becomes part of the public dictionary, after which it is deemed to be “Genericized”; in other words, an adjective becomes a noun. And when that occurs, its use may be legally challenged by whoever.

For example, most recently in 2019, Apple lost the trademark rights to the terms “Apps” and “App Stores” after being challenged in court by Amazon so they could use the terms this on its tablet range.

Even big brands like Coca-Cola are now in danger of losing their Coke branding, as the majority of people will ask for “Coke” at a restaurant, even though they are asking for it. not at all cola drinks, not specifically Coca Cola’s. It’s something that vocabulary has evolved into describing drinks, no matter how many times your waiter replies: “…Can Pepsi do it?”.

So with such a trademark likely falling into the public domain at the time, Sega could have legitimately called their console: “Nintendo Saturn”, or Sony could have called its console. Last name: Nintendo Play Station (Oh yes) But you get points.

However, from suing everyone from Blockbuster over renting out their titles, to companies making their own cartridges… the loss of the trademark to “Nintendo” is what the company is really about. most feared from their market dominance in 1990.

In short, if you don’t want everything in the gaming arena to be branded “Nintendo” in the future, it’s up to the company to make it or not. Next time your Grandma asks if you’re playing as Halo on one of your Nintendo, be sure to correct her adjectives (or encourage her if you’re a rather vindictive Sony or Xbox fan!)