Tim Langdell and Edge Games: Still at It

Posted by Derek Yu Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:55:00 GMT

Tim Langdell, Edge Games

I want this image of Tim Langdell’s face to be seared into the hearts and minds of every person who has ever worked hard to create something of personal value. Memorize it. Take in every loathsome detail. But make special note of the smile. That smile… is the smile of a man who has never known the feeling of creating something in any real sense. It’s the smile of a man, or some semblance of one, who instead wants to take that feeling from other people, prying it out of their hands with cease-and-desist letters and other tenuous legal threats so that he may satisfy his own barren womb. Like an aging and desperate Captain Hook, he strangles Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys for some of their pixie dust so that he might feel the feeling of flight.!

That’s right, Tim Langdell/Edge Games is still threatening game developers over the word “Edge.” Here’s a recap:

1. David Papazian and Mobigame are still being antagonized by Langdell. They’ve received another cease-and-desist from lawyers representing Edge Games1 and Ninomojo revealed on TIGForums that the iPhone game Edge has been removed from the App Store again.

2. Edge Games is now also targeting another indie iPhone developer who would like to remain anonymous right now (although it shouldn’t be hard to guess what word the game has in its title).2

3. In what appears to be another preemptive move by Langdell, Edge Games obtained a trademark for “Edge of Twilight” on June 1st, which is the name of an upcoming game for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.3 Fuzzyeyes third-person action/platform game has been around since at least 2007.4

4. Tim Langdell is, of course, still on the Board of Directors at the IGDA. But I’m honestly going to start leaving this fact out as it’s still not obvious to me what the IGDA accomplishes beyond insulting the very people who the organization should be helping. Seriously, if you’re unhappy with the IGDA, stop yelling at a brick wall (that occasionally insults you) and just drop your membership when the time comes. Then start or join an unaffiliated online community or a local game development group in your city.

To address the question of “how does he get away with it,” well, as far as I know there’s nothing illegal about sending people cease-and-desist letters. I’ve never really doubted that what Tim is doing is legal. But is it necessary? No, it’s clear to me that there would be very little confusion over whether any of these games came from Edge Games. And in my opinion it is a serious abuse of laws that are meant to promote growth and innovation by protecting creators... what I see here is the opposite.

By the way, I’m compiling a centralized page of information regarding Tim and Edge Games here on TIGSource, including quotes from various developers who claim to have worked with Tim. If you have any more information or can help verify some of this stuff, please post here in the comments or e-mail me. Obviously first-person source material is the best.

The more successful Tim is, the harder it is for the next guy or gal who has the misfortune of having to deal with him. So don’t forget that face. As painful a prospect as it might seem.

1 Fingergaming, “Edge Trademark War Continues On Multiple Fronts”
2 Fingergaming, “Edge Trademark War Continues On Multiple Fronts”
3 Kotaku, “Trademark Troll Is at It Again”
4 YouTube, Edge of Twilight Trailer
!These are strictly opinions of the author and should not be construed as fact.

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Comments

  1. alspal said about 1 hour later:

    this is a nice person

  2. RayRayTea said about 1 hour later:

    Hey Derek don’t take it too personally.

    But yeah, from what I know (admittedly not much) this guy needs to be stopped.

  3. Felix said about 2 hours later:

    “as far as I know there’s nothing illegal about sending people cease-and-desist letters”

    I think in some isntances there is.

  4. moi said about 2 hours later:

    Super-exclamation-points are going to be very trendy this summer I hear.

  5. Autonomous said about 2 hours later:

    Is it just me or is the design of the EDGE logo on his site (http://edgegames.com/) bear a striking resemblance to the EDGE logo of EDGE Magazine (http://www.edge-online.com/)?

    What’s the connection?

  6. Mobigame said about 2 hours later:

    Thanks for your support Derek

  7. Alexitrón said about 2 hours later:

    You should make a compo with the theme Edge and the number one rule should be to have the word Edge on the games title .

  8. mrfredman said about 2 hours later:

    @Alexitron: It already happened, voting closed a week ago. You can view and play the entries here: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=6807.0

  9. Cliftor said about 2 hours later:

    Good lord. I’ve been loosely following this story, mostly through this outlet (but otehr game sites as well), and new that he was still on the board, but this is crazy.

    Most of the stonewalling I saw seemed to be grounded in the fact that there wasn’t enough concrete, primary sources to show what a scumbag this guy is.

    It’s good that you’re taking the initiative to start documenting this, Derek. As a lover of games and art, I like to have as many choices as possible, and this kind of abuse of existing law is just hurting that.

    …

    of course, by finding rigorous primary sources, the allegations may turn out to be exaggerated. I doubt it, but it might happen. Truth is key, here, not what we want to be true. We need those sources.

  10. Aquin said about 3 hours later:

    I wish there was some way to get rid of this jerk. You’d think after so many ‘nuisance’ suits, the patent office would just stop returning his calls.

  11. Sonictail said about 3 hours later:

    I have to agree, running a indie “edge” competition with focus on spreading awareness isn’t such a bad idea. Especially on the word “Edge!”

  12. Aquin said about 3 hours later:

    Melly already ran the compo. Edge Tycoon was definitely a winner! :D

    Too bad it was nothing official.

  13. Benerhos said about 3 hours later:

    I was searching for it on the App Store a few hours ago.

  14. KdS said about 4 hours later:

    This is so unnecessary!

    Not like in Twilight when the vampires sparkled, because that was totally unexpected and cool. But not unnecessary like this this is unnecessary!

  15. Alexitrón said about 4 hours later:

    @ mrfredman : Oh…..

  16. Melly said about 4 hours later:

    The Edge compo has already been hosted. Here is the link to the thread with the entries and winners:

    http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=6807.0

  17. skaldicpoet9 said about 4 hours later:

    So, what is Tim’s great master plan when he finally secures all rights to the word edge? Will he finally reach some secret nirvana of which we are all ignorant of? What happens when people stop giving a shit and just don’t use the word edge in any video game titles. Does he have some sort of back up plan? If not he is seriously screwed when that happens.

    Kudos on trying to expose this dirtbag Derek. Hopefully, enough awareness will be spread and he won’t be able to perpetuate this nonsense any longer.

  18. gamecreator said about 4 hours later:

    Yeah, it’s annoying but I don’t know how it’s a “bad” thing. If you’re breaking a law, take your game down. If you’re not, it’s not an issue… no?

  19. Nektonico said about 5 hours later:

    Ah! Mr Langdell, isnt he the guy who single handedly developed Mirrors Edge?¿ … … In any case, please go away now Mr Swindler, your ninja lawyer goons do not scare me

  20. Bob Saget said about 6 hours later:

    That smug face of his only fuels my rage. Thanks for staying on top of this, Derek, Langdell needs to be stopped.

  21. David Stoner said about 6 hours later:

    @Autonomous

    EDGE is not only well known for its many games over the past 30 years, but the EDGE brand has also become famous in the game industry through the superlative EDGE Magazine, published by Future Publishing.

  22. Tim Langdell said about 7 hours later:

    Seriously, stop looking at me in a bad light. I’m awesome

  23. Eclipse said about 9 hours later:

    @David Stoner: wtf are you saying?

    I really hope that Edge of Twilight guys will bash down this fag with an army of lawyers, but i don’t see that happening

  24. bateleur said about 9 hours later:

    @gamecreator> Yes, it might be an issue, because sometimes in order to establish you’re not breaking the law you need to go to court and fight the case, which can be very expensive.

  25. Anon said about 10 hours later:

    It’s too bad the EDGE comp has already finished, because I just had a great idea for a game:

    HEdge Games Presents: Edge of the Edge: An Edgy AdvEDGEure With such riveting game features as:

    • Edge-grabbing!
    • Falling off the Edge of platforms!
    • Edge-of-your-seat excitement!
    • It’s EDGEucational!
    • Special moves such as Double Edge, Over The Edge, Edge-bomb, and the Langdell Lariat!
  26. T.M.R said about 10 hours later:

    @gamecreator: i don’t think anyone has an issue over people protecting their rights, it’s the heavy-handed approach and underhanded way that Edge Games are doing it.

    Edge Games registering the name Edge of Twilight some two years into it’s development is nothing short of insidious; now the devs have to decide if they want to stump up whatever Langdell and co. want for the name or risk losing that two plus years of brand recognition they’ve built up by changing the name.

    Having received a cease and desist email myself a few years back, i know from personal experience that they’re a bloody hideous way of opening up a dialogue…

  27. negative zero said about 10 hours later:

    this is just stupid. i’ve met some of the fuzzyeyes guys and they’re pretty cool. doesn’t this idiot realize that by doing this, he’s disregarding all the work put into these games?!?!? and over what? some generic word that’s supposed to represent him? ^%$^#&%&#$# asshole!!!

  28. Synnah said about 10 hours later:

    It’s saddening that the previous episode, and all of the anger it stirred up, seems to have made little difference to the way that Langdell operates. According to the Fingergaming article, he’s finally called EA out on the similarities between ‘Mirror’s Edge’ and ‘Mirrors (a game by Edge)’. Where is the sense in taking on the biggest company in the industry? I guess we’re relying on EA to do something about him now.

    Thanks for the update, Derick.

  29. Synnah said about 10 hours later:

    I meant ‘Derek’, of course…

  30. SteveO said about 10 hours later:

    I suspect the sense in taking on the biggest company in the industry mostly comes down to $s at the end of the day. I agree that it is a shame that nothing seems to have changed and just hope he does try (and fail) to take on EA.

  31. AmnEn said about 11 hours later:

    Now that would be an interesting turnout if EA were to take on Tim Langdell. Kinda like the forces of hell suddenly duking it out in the middle of an epic battle between good and evil.

  32. gen said about 12 hours later:

    Maybe TIGsource should run a competition where the topic is to ridicule Mr langdell, every game could be called “Edge of” something….

  33. jph_wacheski said about 13 hours later:

    How does one own a word? sounds like a pathetic abuse of the legal system,. does he just claim any game related thing with the word edge in the name is somehow an infringment on his registered tradmark?? (what specificly did he register? edge games??) if so that is just wacky,. does some court actually back up these claims? or is it just the apple store the bows to an unfounded CAD letter ??

  34. The Monster King said about 14 hours later:

    The IGDA seems like the biggest load of bull a committee can be, and committees do tend to become loads of bull, but this one pushes it a lot.

    I wonder if he can be beat at his own game. Can someone copyright Tim Langdell? If you make it a popular main character it’d be pretty cool (he’s a real dick, like worse than House this is how you make popular characters)

  35. Carl (Small Cave Games) said about 14 hours later:

    Wow, what a mug. Looks like he’s already been knocked around a good bit.

  36. DragonSix said about 15 hours later:

    I’m going to trademark the word “The” for videogames.

  37. O said about 15 hours later:

    @people who didn’t see the older post or the threads: someone else has already made your clever joke.

  38. Scott said about 16 hours later:

    laws and the system isn’t perfect, just because it’s not illegal it doesn’t mean it’s not bad.

    though i think making us remember his face is kind of bad, because i feel sorry for him when i see his face.

  39. Sninnyer said about 16 hours later:

    Douchebagus Maximus

  40. Cymon said about 16 hours later:

    @O: Yes, yes. Every clever joke on the subject has already been made. So has the compo. Quit stifling other’s right to expression and creativity. Your as bad as Langdell.

  41. kongming said about 17 hours later:

    Whoa, whoa, whoa, Cymon… Let’s not say anything we can’t take back.

  42. Ezuku said about 17 hours later:

    Has anyone else played Edge Tycoon?

    Now I feel bad for him, it’s hard being Tim Langdell. Those legal teams and trademarks don’t come cheap you know.

  43. Pstonie said about 18 hours later:

    Imagine if he and Jack Thompson teamed up.

    “I’ve always loved animals. They’re different from us and their brains are not complex, but their hearts are pure and there’s usually no fat in their bodies, and they will never call the police on you or take you in front of a judge or run off and hide with your money… Animals don’t hire lawyers.” -Hunter S. Thompson

  44. PHeMoX said about 19 hours later:

    @42: Jack Thompson died the moment he lost his rights as a lawyer. He’ll probably continue to talk bad about games, but at least he can’t sue people anymore from behind his save lawyer desk.

    “It’s saddening that the previous episode, and all of the anger it stirred up, seems to have made little difference to the way that Langdell operates. According to the Fingergaming article, he’s finally called EA out on the similarities between ‘Mirror’s Edge’ and ‘Mirrors (a game by Edge)’. Where is the sense in taking on the biggest company in the industry? I guess we’re relying on EA to do something about him now.”

    Yeah. I’d be surprised if EA loses this though. I don’t see how Tim Langdell was able to copyright an entire word in this way. It makes no sense, even for related products.

    It’s like Microsoft copyrighting the use of an X before a title (of a console I assume), but apparently they aren’t being a jerk about it at all.

  45. Brandon Sheffield said about 20 hours later:

    you’re doing good work here, derek.

  46. Anonymous said about 20 hours later:

    Ditch the IGDA and form an RGDA (Real Game Developers Association)… or not, since it’s just a waste of resources. ;)

    If this is still going on next year, a silent protest at GDC. Get an IGDA flag (reading “IGDA Member”), and write “EX” in sharpie before that.

  47. qwack said about 21 hours later:
    EA might settle out of court. This is high level legal shenanigans for pure economic gain. EA might well say, “the cost to take this to court is X, the cost to settle is X so we settle out of court.” This may be Langdell’s strategy and it’s a good one. Why would a developer pay more to go to court than settle? Langdell pockets the money instead of paying legal fees. It’s essentially blackmail, but the legal system is based on who can pay the most to put the most financial strain on the opposing side.
  48. Sens said about 21 hours later:

    Why would a developer pay more to go to court than settle?

    Because he could win?

  49. ParsonSyunOwen said about 21 hours later:

    Where’s Timothy Hutton when you need him?

  50. qwack said about 21 hours later:

    the second X should have a “less than” sign in front of it.

  51. Trotim said about 23 hours later:

    Take him down! Where’s the Duke when you need him?

  52. ffs said about 23 hours later:

    He is a parasitic tapeworm. I’m quitting IGDA and I suggest to anyone else that while this joker is on the board, or associated in anyway with the association, that they do the same.

  53. David Stoner said about 23 hours later:

    @Eclipse

    I answered his question.

  54. maanto said 1 day later:

    Well said on point #4, Derek. That’s actually part of the reason that I finally canceled my IGDA membership and made my first post on the boards.

    I sincerely hope this guy stops pestering people with unfounded legal cases.

  55. qwack said 1 day later:

    @ Sens. Winning a court case doesn’t mean you get your legal fees back. Corporations win many legal battles with smaller businesses simply because they simply draw out the proceedings. Langdell could keep EA in litigation for decades. You don’t get your money back when you win. Lawyers still cost money out of your pocket.

  56. JR said 1 day later:

    I don’t mean this to sound callous, but why didn’t Fuzzyeyes trademark their game’s title? Anyone could have come in and grabbed the trademark before Tim; He just happened to be the first one prickish enough to do it.

  57. TheBoyMadeOfSnot said 1 day later:
    Actually Fuzzyeyes have trademarked Edge Of Twighlight, more than a year before Landgell. IP Australia Enter as a guest and plug in 1229650 at the bottom or search for edge and twilight. Any law firm with more than a few days experience would be able to see that `ol wonky face is clearly registering trademarks to deceive and / or create branding confusion, I wonder why nobody has sent him a cease and desist?
  58. mewse said 1 day later:

    Trademarks are expensive enough that it’s often difficult for an independent developer to justify the cost. In general, it costs about $300 to file a trademark in the US, and a lot more if you haven’t actually started selling using that trademark yet.

    Registering a trademark in the US is not enough, though, of course. You must also register in the EU to be covered there, and that costs about $2000. You must also register in Australia/New Zealand to be covered there (also about $300 per trademark). You must also register in… you get the idea. The cost is prohibitive for someone who isn’t already making a lot of income.

  59. Oddball said 1 day later:

    You cannot defend a trademark against a brand that existed before your trademark claim. Edge of Twilight is perfectly safe as it was well known before Tim’s trademark was registered. Also, defending a trademark for a brand that doesn’t exist for the sole purpose of extracting money is the criminal act of extortion. It has many presedents in law already, with Leo Stoller probably being the most high profile. If anyone is affected by Tim’s vexatious litigation then they should contact the trademark regulators as he should be investigated.

  60. Mulder said 1 day later:

    I typed Timothy Langdell into an anagram engine, and guess what I got?

    Hated Tingly Moll!

    Says it all, doesn’t it?

  61. Synnah said 1 day later:

    This article is currently on the first page of Google results for “edge games” (And the second page if you omit the quotes). This is definitely a good thing.

  62. O said 1 day later:

    JR: Trademark registration, like copyright registration, isn’t necessary if you’re legitimately in the right. Langdell plays this game because because his bread and butter is intimidation and settlement, which works because few people understand their real rights.

  63. Sens said 1 day later:

    Winning a court case doesn’t mean you get your legal fees back. Corporations win many legal battles with smaller businesses simply because they simply draw out the proceedings. Langdell could keep EA in litigation for decades. You don’t get your money back when you win. Lawyers still cost money out of your pocket.

    Then you should be really more proactive in changing the law in your country. If i go to court because somebody sues me in my country and i win. I get all my expenses back.

  64. RayRayTea said 1 day later:

    Hehe Langdell looks like a baby compared to that Stoller guy.

  65. Karyu said 1 day later:

    You know it seems to me that Tim went for his position in the IGDA just so he had an easier way of finding indie games using his “trademark”

    At least thats the impression I’m getting, not sure if/how you can being part of this association though.

    I’ve been following this story now for a while, thanks to this site and its really one of the most interesting developments in gaming I’ve read for a long time.

    What this guy is doing may not be completely against the law, but its stretching it to breaking point as he basically takes advantage of it not in a defensive way (which is how it should be) but as a full on attack at anyone and everyone just so he can make some money.

    He is a disgusting person and puts my country to shame. I really hope that someone manages not only to sort him out but truely humiliates him and destroys his reputation.

    calms down ah, that felt good

  66. Mark said 1 day later:

    What about AT&T, they have a whole EDGE network…

    For those that wanted to use EDGE, but cannot because of this gent, here are some other words you could use.

    http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/edge

    Thanks for the hard work

  67. Frogglehorn said 1 day later:

    The IGDA provides little to no value for the subscription fee they charge. If this were an MMO, it would have been canceled long ago. It’s no wonder its board is home to the utmost douchiest.

  68. Derek said 2 days later:

    TheBoyMadeOfSnot (#57) pointed out that Fuzzyeyes did trademark “Edge of Twilight” before Langdell. Sorry, it got caught in the spam filter.

  69. James M said 2 days later:

    The wonders of the digital age. Information at your fingertips and a fucker abusing trademark law. It’s good to live in the present, eh?

  70. Paul Sinnett said 2 days later:

    The membership of IGDA are collecting names of members to hold a special meeting to vote on removing him from the board:

    http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=68SOsjTK2f9qJvOQ2b2Zw72fA3d_3d

    Please note that this is only for members with voting rights.

    We’ll need about 1,200 so, if you’re a member, please add your name and membership number. Or if you know a member, please draw their attention to the debate and ask them to add their name too.

    http://kotaku.com/5317360/effort-begun-to-remove-trademark-troll-from-igda-board

  71. Shigi said 2 days later:

    Derek, that first paragraph was one of the most awesome paragraphs I’ve ever read.

    Thankfully, I think there’s definitely something illegal about his behavior. When you register for a trademark you have to specify whether you’re actually using your mark in commerce now, or whether you’re merely intending to use it later. But if you’re intending to use that trademark in the future for a product, that intention has to be legitimate… and that’s where the violation occurs:

    (from the US Trademark and Patent Office) “The lack of a bona intention to use the mark with all goods and/or services included in an application, or the lack of use on all goods and/or services for which you claim use, could jeopardize the validity of the registration and result in its cancellation.”

    He’s essentially defending a trademark for a brand that doesn’t exist for the sole purpose of extracting money… that’s extortion, and it’s very illegal. I really hope that he is investigated, because what he’s doing is abhorrent, and I too am appalled that such a man managed to make it onto the board of the IGDA.

  72. Shigi said 2 days later:

    Oh I forgot to mention… Leo Stoller is a great example of someone who severely abused the trademark system and was subsequently sanctioned. What he did is exactly the same thing that Tim is doing: Registering trademarks in bad faith. There’s even a Society for the Prevention of Trademark Abuse. Perhaps they might be able to help out.

  73. dude said 3 days later:

    There is nothing wrong with protecting a mark.

    But trying to own “EDGE” in games? That is kind of silly… legally silly.

  74. Leo said 3 days later:

    Mark said: For those that wanted to use EDGE, but cannot because of this gent, here are some other words you could use.

    Oh yeah. I’m totally using Butt to name my games instead of Edge. Butt of Twilight. That gonna be a blockbuster.

  75. Tim Langdell said 4 days later:

    I, Tim Langdell, hereby announce my intention to run for President of the World.

  76. Now What? said 6 days later:

    EDGE, EDGE,EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE, EDGE…..

    Sue me!

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