Sony Computer Entertainment has been denied the right to trademark "Let's Play" by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Though the application was filed in late October, the filing only surfaced last week after being discovered on Justia by a NeoGAF user

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USPTO refused the application on grounds of "likelihood of confusion," as there is a similar mark already trademarked. The official notice of rejection outlines the similarities between the already trademarked service— LP Let'z Play —and Sony's proposed trademark.Because the "marks are highly similar and the services closely related, consumer confusion is likely," the statement reads . "Accordingly, registration is refused under Trademark Act Section 2(d)."If Sony wishes to fight the ruling, it'll have six months from the decision's issued date (December 29) to address the refusal and provide "evidence as to why the refusal should be withdrawn."Sony has not issued a statement regarding the intention behind the trademark, though, as reported earlier ome speculate s that the company wants to use Let's Plays as part of its PlayStation 4 streaming service. The trademark attempt is a way to prevent other companies from using it, and Sony probably has no intention of taking it away from players.

Nicole is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter