Well, this is weird. Someone has asked the US Patent & Trademark Office to scrub the trademark for Ubisoft's upcoming Watch Dogs. A request that's been called "fraudulent", since it didn't actually come from Ubisoft.


Earlier today, the publisher sent a notice to the USPTO (emphasis added):

Ubisoft Entertainment submits this Petition to the Director under Trademark Rule 2.146 to prevent the abandonment of Application Serial No. 85642398. A fraudulent Request for Express Abandonment was recently filed in connection with Application Serial No. 85642398. Facts On February 1, 2014, Ubisoft Entertainment received an email from TEAS@uspto.gov notifying Ubisoft Entertainment that a Request for Express Abandonment had been filed in connection with Application Serial No. 85642398. The Request for Express Abandonment purports to be signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft Entertainment, Yves Guillemot. Mr. Guillemot, however, did not sign the Request for Express Abandonment, nor did Ubisoft Entertainment file the Request for Express Abandonment. The Request for Express Abandonment is fraudulent and was not filed by Ubisoft Entertainment or its representative.


Ubisoft says "We are working directly with the USPTO on reinstating the trademark for Watch Dogs and it will be active again in the coming days. The matter has no impact on the Watch Dogs' development."

Makes you wonder...who'd go to the trouble of not just filing the paperwork, but forging the signature of Ubisoft's boss? That's a little above and beyond your standard trolling.

Form [USPTO, via Game Informer]