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PlayStation 5 launch. The PlayStation 5 trademark is not protected everywhere!

PlayStation 5 launch. The PlayStation 5 trademark is not protected everywhere!

It seems that the largest companies in the world in the electronics industry, known for their flagship products, have fully qualified intellectual property protection departments and action plans developed for up to a dozen years ahead. As an example, one can point to popular smartphone models or game consoles, where the names with successive numbers are already registered long before their official release. Thus, around the world, we often have trademarks registered consisting of "product name" + "number," e.g., iPhone 17. Unfortunately, the situation is not always so rosy, despite having enormous human and financial resources, as Sony recently found out due to its overly sluggish actions. At the end of 2020 (November-December), global releases of next-generation consoles, namely PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, are planned. As it turned out, despite the fact that Sony registered the "PlayStation" trademark worldwide up to number 10, in the case of India, these steps were not taken, so, despite the approaching release date, Sony does not have the right to the "PlayStation 5" trademark.

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Forgotten India

How did this happen? Well, the trademark for “PlayStation 5” was registered in India on October 29, 2019, by a man named Hitesh Aswani. Interestingly, this situation poses a significant problem for Sony, as there is currently no official release date for the new console in India, which is not necessarily pleasing to local gamers, as they cannot make pre-orders. Sony filed an application to register the same trademark three months later, and a dispute is currently ongoing regarding this. As a result, not only is the release of the new console delayed (probably), but all kinds of marketing activities and events are also suspended due to the lack of legal protection for the name of the flagship product.

Alternative to Sony

Sony could also take a different approach and release its new product under a different name, which would certainly allow it to meet the deadline for a global launch. Despite reaching out to the manufacturer of the PS5 for comment on this matter, Sony has not yet announced its position.

Interestingly, Asus recently took a similar step, deciding to stop using the name “Zenfone” for the smartphones it manufactures and distributes in India.

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Unfortunately, despite Sony having registered the “PlayStation” trademark worldwide up to number 10, these steps were not taken in India. As a result, despite the upcoming release date, Sony does not have the right to the “PlayStation 5” trademark in India.

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