Lawsuits from the Edge

Meet Tim Langdell. This is him here:

In 1979, Langdell founded a games company called “Softek: Masters of the Game”, but later decided to rename it to “Edge”. A look at Edge’s publishing history, as seen on its website, lists 756 games (a “partial list”) under its belt, which is an impressive number until you realise that Langdell counts a game’s multiple platform and language releases as separate games.

But Langdell’s real claim to fame is his use of the word “edge”. Mirriam-Webster defines it as thus:

1 a : the cutting side of a blade <a razor’s edge> b : the sharpness of a blade <a knife with no edge> c (1) : force, effectiveness <blunted the edge of the legislation> (2) : vigor or energy especially of body <maintains his hard edge> d (1) : incisive or penetrating quality <writing with a satirical edge> (2) : a noticeably harsh or sharp quality <her voice had an edge to it> (3) : a secondary but distinct quality <rock music with a bluesy edge> e : keenness or intensity of desire or enjoyment <lost my competitive edge>
2 a : the line where an object or area begins or ends : border <on the edge of a plain> b : the narrow part adjacent to a border <the edge of the deck> c (1) : a point near the beginning or the end; especially : brink, verge <on the edge of disaster> (2) : the threshold of danger or ruin <living on the edge> d : a favorable margin : advantage <has an edge on the competition>
3 : a line or line segment that is the intersection of two plane faces (as of a pyramid) or of two planes

But Langdell’s definition is more along the lines of:

1 a : Lawsuit
2 a : Mine, not yours
3 : Hands off

Simply put, if another game wants to use the word “edge” in its title, Langdell reaches for the lawyers. That’s his trademark. That’s his word. And woe betide any other company that wants to use it. Just ask David Papazian.

His company, Mobigame, was set to release an iPhone game called Edge. Long story short, Langdell got wind of the title and gave Papazian two options: change the game’s name or licence the word “edge” from Edge. Back-and-forth conversation ensued, and Papazian eventually proposed that he change his game’s title to EDGY. Langdell forbade it, saying it sounded too similar to the word — his trademark — “edge”. Langdell then went and registered the name “EDGY” as an Edge Games trademark.

It’s a long and fascinating tale, and Eurogamer has a fantastic piece on Langdell and Edge in which they attempt to get some straight answers out of the man himself. The results are morbidly intriguing. And according to the Twitter feed of the feature’s author, Simon Parkin:

“And so, five days later, Langdell threatens to sue us.”

Langdell is a board member of the IGDA. A petition has been distributed with the aim of removing him from his position. And despite his vicious protection of his precious word, Edge fails to appear in a simple Google search. Oh, and his company hasn’t actually released a game in over 15 years.

Once again, another look at the face of Edge:

What say you, fellow gamer?

Advertisement