Epic Games is no stranger to legal battles, especially as of late. Currently, they're in the midst of a drawn-out fight against Apple, but now they're beginning another court case against another company: Nreal. We've covered Nreal's various products in the past, which range from mixed reality headsets, to smart glasses; the company is one that dabbles in virtual and augmented reality technology, not typically gaming, but that hasn't stopped them from catching Epic Games' attention. Epic posits that Nreal both looks and sounds too similar to their own Unreal Engine, to the point that they're suing Nreal over "willfully trading off Epic’s rights, causing confusion, and acting with callous disregard for Epic’s prior rights", and making a profit by "confusing consumers" with the name.

The lawsuit, which was filed last week, aims to prevent Nreal from obtaining a trademark in the United States. It also appears to be seeking compensation from Nreal for multiple forms of damages and the reimbursement of Epic's legal costs. According to the legal papers, this has been an ongoing issue for years; Nreal attempted to obtain a trademark for its name in 2018, to which Epic Games opposed their application. With the American launch of Nreal's products quickly approaching according to a recent teaser made on the company's Twitter, and reportedly no attempt from them to discuss the problem outside of court, Epic has decided to move forward with the lawsuit.

Source

 

[Quarions]

It's also to distract from the other lawsuit they're losing right now.


Because I have likes and dislikes? You'd probably have some too if you played anything other than Fortnite. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I don't even play Fortnite, keep on digging your hole

 

[Xzi]

I don't even play Fortnite, keep on digging your hole

Then why get butthurt whenever someone insults Epic? Sweeney ain't gonna give you a rimjob for defending him online.

 

[xatzimi]

The next thing you know, something with the word Epic is going to be sued.

The Epic of Gilgamesh better watch out before they send a C&D

 

[Quarions]

Then why get butthurt whenever someone insults Epic? Sweeney ain't gonna give you a rimjob for defending him online.

I don't give a fuck about Epic, i just see you everytime bashing on shit. get a life.

 

[xatzimi]

Imagine if there was Intendo or Laystation

You mean Lowee and Lastation

 

[Xzi]

I don't give a fuck about Epic, i just see you everytime bashing on shit. get a life.

Dude you had to scroll past three other pages of people insulting them to get to my comment. My stalker is telling me to get a life.

If Epic ever does anything right, I'll be sure to be the first one to let you know. Don't hold your breath though.

 

[Crazynoob458]

now this is bullshit
like literally i am losing brain cells right now

 

[placebo_yue]

to be honest it makes sense to me. NREAL is literally pronounced unreal. It's pretty hard to tell them apart when speaking. Also Unreal might totally be interested in dwelling into XR and Nreal also being in the game would make it super confusing for everyone.
For the guy that said "the popstation says hello".. that's an ugly chinese bootleg console, it's not on the same league as Nreal. It literally knows it's breaking copyright like SORNY in that episode of the simpsons u know

 

[ZeroFX]

@Xzi [...] has no life

hmmm

Epic sues your fat mom because she ate all the vbucks

hmmm

cringe

hmmmm?

Wow! You must be a hardcore looser!

 

[The Catboy]

I can’t wait for Epic to sue the English language for having the word “unreal” and not paying them royalties

 

[Kioku]

hmmm

hmmm

hmmmm?

Dude literally wasted effort to type out "cringe" as a response. There's an irony in that.

 

[TomSwitch]

View attachment 263271​

Epic Games is no stranger to legal battles, especially as of late. Currently, they're in the midst of a drawn-out fight against Apple, but now they're beginning another court case against another company: Nreal. We've covered Nreal's various products in the past, which range from mixed reality headsets, to smart glasses; the company is one that dabbles in virtual and augmented reality technology, not typically gaming, but that hasn't stopped them from catching Epic Games' attention. Epic posits that Nreal both looks and sounds too similar to their own Unreal Engine, to the point that they're suing Nreal over "willfully trading off Epic’s rights, causing confusion, and acting with callous disregard for Epic’s prior rights", and making a profit by "confusing consumers" with the name.

The lawsuit, which was filed last week, aims to prevent Nreal from obtaining a trademark in the United States. It also appears to be seeking compensation from Nreal for multiple forms of damages and the reimbursement of Epic's legal costs. According to the legal papers, this has been an ongoing issue for years; Nreal attempted to obtain a trademark for its name in 2018, to which Epic Games opposed their application. With the American launch of Nreal's products quickly approaching according to a recent teaser made on the company's Twitter, and reportedly no attempt from them to discuss the problem outside of court, Epic has decided to move forward with the lawsuit.

Source

Should real networks have a problem with epic too? one is real and the other unreal? How about cereal? Should kellogg cereal be a problem?

What if Tim Cook decided to use iReal?

 

[MarkDarkness]

Epic Megagames #remember

 

[anhminh]

This just in, Apple sue fruit company for selling their brand as fruit product.

 

[samcambolt270]

Imagine if there was Intendo or Laystation

Neither of those are real words. The only reason you would use a word similar to nintendo would be to reference nintendo. There is literally no other use for it because they made the word up. "Unreal," on the other hand, is an actual word that has actual meaning and epic do not simply own it wholesale. It would be like microsoft suing a company that sells a program called "0ut_7h3_w1ndow" or a literal window company just because it contains the word "window" in it. If it was a game engine called "Nreal" you would have a point... but it isn't. You'd think it'd be pretty clear what the influence for naming your vr company "Nreal" would be.

The thing is, if Epic chose not to sue, a claim could be made they weren't protecting their "Unreal" trademark, and they could lose it altogether.

Nope. Not how that works. You didn't even read the actual law quote you copy/pasted to prove your point which actually shows how incorrect it is. First, the quote you used is in reference to getting something trademarked in the first place, not failing to protect and therefore losing it. Second, you do in fact not have to sue any and everyone who uses a word from your trademark in any and all contexts. Microsoft cannot sell a company called "glass windows" that sell literal windows just because they own the trademark for windows. Nintendo cannot sue a pizza company called Luigi's. Apple cannot sue "granny smith apple juice." It doesn't work that way. Windows will not lose their trademark if they don't sue a window company. Epic owns the trademark for unreal in only the context of a game engine. A game engine named Nreal would violate that trademark, but a manufacturer of virtual reality headsets, does not. Epic owns the trademark for "the unreal engine" not just the word unreal in any and all contexts it may be used.

 

[Spider_Man]

Its fucking daft how companies can prevent competition and sue for damages, thus shutting thek down which if not mistaken, weren epic/unreal trying to encourage small devs to learn and become devs.

So, if you do, and sound similar, we will shut your ass down.

Well fuck you epic and unreal, your in same legue as nintendont.

 

[SonowRaevius]

2021 the year of the lawsuits....

 

[samcambolt270]

When you're talking about it.

If I started a mobile company called Upple and produced an ayphone then I would expect to get sued.

This is literally irrelevent. The words sounding similar are not grounds for substantial similarity, nor are they equivalent to "naming your company upple and selling an ayphone." You literally can name your company upple if you want. You just need to sell something like balloons or alchohol or something(or hell, literal apples). "Upple" sounding similar to "apple" is only relevent if you're a company that sells tech. You would have a point if the company's name was 3pic and they were selling the Nreal engine, but they aren't. There is no confusion with unreal engine when talking about "Nreal" virtual reality headsets just like there isn't confusion with microsoft windows when talking about "Glass windows". "The same sounding word" does not equal "brand confusion." The two aren't the same and epic's "unreal" trademark is for a game engine, not virtual reality headsets. Even trying to say "epic might wanna branch into vr" isn't an argument, because they haven't, and beating them to the punch isn't grounds for a lawsuit. If epic made "unreal vr headsets" before Nreal started making headsets, sure, but they didn't.

 

[Asia81]

Epic does what Nintendoes

 

[limpbiz411]

This is unreal