Stellar Blade Trademark Dispute Deepens

An American film production company has alleged trademark infringement against Sony and developer Shift Up over the PS5 action-adventure hit, Stellar Blade.

Stellar Blade Sued By “Stellarblade” for Trademark InfringementBoth Trademarks Duly Registered

Shift Up, the developer of PS5 action-adventure hit Stellar Blade, and Sony have been sued by a film production company called "Stellarblade." The film company, based in the US state of Louisiana, alleged trademark infringement and filed the case in a Louisiana court earlier this month.

Griffith Chambers Mehaffey, the owner of the Stellarblade film company, claimed that their business, which specializes in "Commercials, Documentaries, Music Videos & Independent Films," has been harmed by Sony and Shift Up's use of the name "Stellar Blade" for the game. Mehaffey further stated that the name's use has reduced their business' online visibility, claiming that potential clients searching "Stellarblade" now have difficulty finding relevant information due to "Stellar Blade" game search results.

Mehaffey's request to the Court included monetary damages and attorney fees, as well as an injunction preventing Shift Up and Sony from using the "Stellar Blade" trademark, or any similar name. He also requested the Court to order the transfer of all "Stellar Blade" materials from the game companies to Mehaffey and his company Stellarblade for destruction.

Mehaffey registered the "Stellarblade" trademark in June 2023 and subsequently issued a cease and desist letter to Stellar Blade developer Shift Up the following month. In the lawsuit, Mehaffey claimed that he has been the owner of the stellarblade.com website since 2006, used in conjunction with his film production company since 2011.

In a statement to IGN, Mehaffey's lawyer said it is "difficult to imagine that Shift Up and Sony were unaware of Mr. Mehaffey's established rights before adopting their identical mark." For further context, Stellar Blade was first announced as "Project Eve" in 2019, later renamed "Stellar Blade" in 2022. In January 2023, Shift Up reportedly registered the "Stellar Blade" trademark for its PS5 title. Mehaffey registered the "Stellarblade" trademark in June 2023, months after Shift Up's filing.

"Mr. Mehaffey registered the stellarblade.com domain in 2006 and has used the STELLARBLADE name for his business for nearly 15 years. We believe in fair competition, but when larger companies disregard the established rights of smaller businesses, it's our responsibility to stand up and protect our brand," Mehaffey's lawyer stated to IGN. "The defendants’ significantly greater resources have effectively monopolized online search results for STELLARBLADE, pushing Mr. Mehaffey's long-established business into digital obscurity and jeopardizing the livelihood he's built over more than a decade." Furthermore, Mehaffey argued that both logos, as well as the stylized letter 'S' in both names, are grounds for the case and which he described as "confusingly similar."

It is worth noting, additionally, that the rights of a trademark owner generally can apply retroactively, meaning the trademark protection extends beyond the registration date of the trademark.