Calling Iron Maiden a successful band feels like an understatement. For years, the British heavy metal legends have continued to dominate the scene with their heavy riffs and awe-inspiring live performances. Apparently, their influence seems to have reached the gaming industry, with a game sharing a name almost identical to theirs.
Iron Maiden has reportedly filed a $2 million trademark infringement lawsuit against 3D Realms over its upcoming shooter Ion Maiden. The band claims what is believed to be “an incredibly blatant” violation bordering on trademark infringement. They said that the name of the title could somehow lead to “confusion among consumers.”
The lawsuit suggests that the studio’s Ion Maiden is almost identical to the band’s trademark, which encompasses music, appearance, and even commercial impression. The company is also alleged to utilize the name in an attempt to sell merchandise, ranging from mouse pads to shirts.
The lawsuit also brings up a similar (albeit different in approach) deal with Iron Maiden’s previous computer game called Legacy of the Beast. This is very much the main point of contention between the two parties. Even more so, the lawsuit suggests that there is a link between the names for the band’s bassist Steve Harris and the game’s protagonist Shelly Harrison, which the band claims is an indirect copy.
The holding company for the band says that 3D Realms knows that what they are doing borders on trademark infringement, especially with the existence of “virtually identical imitation” of the brand the band has known to embrace ever since. Apart from asking $2 million in reparations, the suit demands the studio to stop its scheme of using “confusingly similar” branding and, more importantly, hand over the ownership of the official Ion Maiden website.
Iron Maiden’s claims seem to be on point, though. For starters, the names are nearly identical, with only the letter “R” being the missing piece. Then there is the name of the protagonist of the game somehow sharing similarities with the name of the band’s bassist. One could say it is a just a bid for money from the band, but it seems Ion Maiden could be getting a brand new name after all.
