Nintendo Forces Swedish Dental Surgery To Change Name
Not a headline you’d expect to read first thing on a Monday, granted, but it’s true: Nintendo’s lawyers have made a small dental surgery in Malmö, Sweden, change its name.
Why?
The surgery is called “Wii Smile”. And while one of the two partners running the joint, Christer Wihlborg, says the name came about because his surname starts with “Wi” and there are two owners, the fact is Nintendo registered their trademark over the name “Wii” in 2006, a full year before “Wii Smile” opened its doors.
Interestingly, Nintendo claim that they’re taking the action not only because of the trademark and the similarities between the names, but because they claim the original 2006 trademark included not only home video game consoles, but dentistry as well.
Dentistry? We knew Nintendo’s lawyers were bloodthirsty. We didn’t know they were that thorough.
Nintendo ger sig på tandklinik i Malmö [Sydsvenskan]
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Fair enough, it’s Nintendo’s trademark. Why not call the surgery “We Smile”?
@milkshake
I’m gonna guess he’s referring to ‘fags’??? BlitzGrillo called ninty fags, someones asked if it was a homosexual company, and finally deadstar replied “no, they just smoke a lot’.
It’s a homonym (get it??? HOMOnym :) yeh, sorry…)
Nintendo's Wii Smile to replace dentistry.
MikoKeZ
In the very first Wiimote promo (where they promised tons of stuff the Wiimote just can't do), they showed somebody playing a dentist game using the Wiimote as a drill. It's not that far fetched that they have some sort of patent in that area.
El-Suave
@Skyline7284: Beat me to it.
Nintendo, inspired.
MikoKeZ
@Matthew Lynagh: How can you respect or disrespect something that cannot have a mindset, opinion, or personality?
Doesn't matter. I lost all respect for Nintendo a while ago.
Matthew Lynagh
So, when will we get Wii Teeth? Will it include Wii Motion Plus Support? or Online Co-op?
Mario Kart Dental Edition. "Dentist Mario, use your blue toothbrush to take out the guy in first place, then I'll use my golden tooth to boost past everyone."
@Matthew Lynagh: We were all very worried, really.
I hope Nintendo can get through these tumultuous times.
Dresan
@Skyline7284:
No, but it will include Wii Motion Minus Support, where if you receive a fistly motion to the mouth, some of your teeth will be subtracted from the total.
Purple Dave
@El-Suave: Were they planning on releasing colored Wiimotes? Or Nunchuks? I know the console was shown with all different colors back when they called it the "Revolution." Why won't they do that? They did it with the N64 and GameCube! Maybe if they do release different colors, it will be towards the end of the Wii's lifetime.
Andrew Wimpy
@oosiegewolfoo: How can you not have real games? Are there, like, games that are simply an illusion and hinder the psyche of an individual? Nuke Dukem Forever?
No, games are games. There's simply good and bad, which is solely determined by personal preference and opinion.
Atomsk88
@kitsuneconundrum: Sometimes I hold my Wii remote in my teeth if I'm playing games and need my hands free for a moment.
It doesn't work for eating, though.
Zorantor
@gramblor: here sir is money please take it!
@last_stamp: Thanks for the heads up; there goes my 'Gamecube Dental' idea...
MustyBuckets
@MechaTama31: I feel Nintendo is going after them in part due to the logo being a total ripoff as well. It is obvious that they are using nintendo's version of wii.
I believe if they called it "Wi Dental" There would be no issue, even if they used the stupid 'letter i is a person' thing.
MustyBuckets
@MikoKeZ: I wrote a lengthier response earlier, but it got gobbled by the internetz.
The jist of it was an explanation of three person multiplayer.
Player 1) Is the Dentist. They see a screen full of teeth, and have to perform tasks Trauma Centre style. Root canal, fillings, bridgework, etc, all with the power of the Wiimote.
Player 2) Is the Hygienist. They use a Wiimote, and all they do is sit around and take crap from the Dentist, and perform the mindless routines that basically just involve holding the Wiimote steady to simulate the suction tube thingy that cleans up your saliva/blood (Mr. Thirsty!).
Player 3) Is the patient. The place their Wiimote and Nunchuck inside their mouth, with the cords hanging out (safety first!). The Wiimote represents the Dentist's tools, and the Nunchuck the Hygienist. The different controllers vibrate as per the actions of player 1 and 2. Player 3's only goal is to not asphyxiate or choke on the controllers.
Sounds like fun!
gramblor
@El-Suave: We're not talking about patents, we're talking about trademarks. Patents, trademarks, and copyrights are three very different things with very different rules.
bugbread
@valero:
In all intolerance i forgot to sooth my language. My bad.
are nintendo fucking serious, this have to be a joke,.
@stupid_mcgee: uber pyro > zerg rush: I kind of agree and disagree. The Wii logo is good for the kind of marketing that nintendo is trying to express, since having a simple logo in the age of multimedia makes it really versatile, and this is important for a brand like Wii that goes for kids and adults alike.
The other point is that the dentists' logo really good, but it's only good with the "smile" at the bottom. that's what really makes the design complete and stand out like it does.
Yes the nintendo Wii logo is not a great logo, it's really simple, but it's really practical for the whole marketing plan. I do love my logos more expresive by themselves but i can apreciate what nintendo has been doing with the brand.
The gamecube logo Rocked, though.
And yup, Sweden also rocks at design.
oh man, I've never seen a company defend its trademark before!!
this is craaaaaaaazy!!! call CNN!!!
Crash__Man
@harshalizee: yea, but, it's not "similar" to the name Pokemon, it IS Pokemon.
if scientists tried to name a cancer "Kotaku" I bet Brian would be on the horn pretty quick =P
Crash__Man
@JudgeNutmeg is running from his own grenades: reference received. enjoyed. =)
Crash__Man
@ShaggE wants to join the Egg Council.: hahaha, that was a good one =)
Crash__Man
@( shake cows, win a ) Milkshake!:
facepalm indeed.....
ugh......
a fag is a cig... nig...
@( shake cows, win a ) Milkshake!: i hope you're joking or, *facepalm*
I guess that Wii Smile uses this then:
[kotaku.com]
If someone called their dentistry surgery "DS Smile", "Xbox Smile" or "Playstation Smile" it would get the same treatment as this.
If their office was named before the Wii came out in 2006, they'd be suing Nintendo right now and everyone would be on the other side.
Like they didn't think it would cause trouble.
himohebi
@stupid_mcgee: uber pyro > zerg rush: Why did this become a pro-sweden font discussion? The topic was they used the copyrighted name Wii without permission.
himohebi
@JudgeNutmeg is running from his own grenades: Props to you and your hairy wheel of justice.
tossrStu
@riffleraffle: Only for them to land softly on the bed of money, coke and hookers they've accumulated in this generation. Hell, they don't even need to make a new system really, not until the Wii money train comes to a halt.
ddhboy
@stupid_mcgee: uber pyro > zerg rush: As a design student I disagree. The Wii logo allows you to attach you're own sentiments towards the project while the dentist logo looks like a child's vomit. The current Wii logo lets you know that the product is for everyone. The Dentist Logo tells you that you get to wear a party hat when you go to your friend billy's party over a Chuck E' Cheezes.
ddhboy
@MechaTama31: That is the case when you don't have the required trademark.
Let's imagine that I register "Duck" as a trademark in footwear and I start making shoes. Then another guy starts making "Duck" leather bags. If I sue the another guy I might lose since I didn't have the foresight of registering "Duck" as leather goods too.
In this case Nintendo is on the clear since they registered the trademark in every category.
Ok I understand they dont want people to relate that place to the wii, but seriously "they claim the original 2006 trademark applied to not only home video game consoles, but dentistry as well" that is just too darn ridiculous.
@ShaggE wants to join the Egg Council.: Is very common for companies to register trademarks in every category posible. For example, Red Bull is registered as beverage, footwear, clothes, watches and about 15 more categories.
@stupid_mcgee: uber pyro > zerg rush: You're kidding, right? This logo reeks of bad color choices, and just overall bad top-level decisions(if there were any to begin with).
I have seen better usage of the "fun" theme (which they were obviously going for) on ice cream trucks and balloon packages.
@Andizee: Oooh! NICE ONE!