Activision Blizzard’s big Overwatch esports ambitions may have hit a bit of a snag. According to US Patent and Trademark Office filings, the logo for the publisher’s fledgling Overwatch League has run afoul of Major League Baseball, who feel the image is too similar to their own logo.
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It’s fairly clear the Overwatch League logo was at least partly inspired by the MLB logo, as they both feature rounded rectangles divided by a white silhouette with opposing colors on either side. It’s a stretch to say anybody could confuse the two images – Activision Blizzard’s logo features different colors and a the silhouette of a shapely gun-toting woman instead of a baseball player — but I suppose some people could mistakenly assume MLB is somehow backing or endorsing Overwatch League.
Of course, Overwatch League isn’t the only organization that closely apes the MLB logo:
MLB hasn’t officially opposed to the Overwatch League logo yet, but they’ve requested 90 days to confer with their lawyers and decide whether making a fuss is worthwhile. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Overwatch League tweaks its logo before then to avoid headaches. MLB has until July 26 to present their opposition.
Overwatch League is Activision Blizzard’s attempt to create an esports organization more in line with traditional sports leagues. Overwatch League will feature permanent teams tied to specific cities (New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Franciso, Shanhai, and Seoul) that compete in arenas in front of live audiences. It’s the first esports league of its kind, and is a rather large gamble, but hey, never underestimate Blizzard when it puts its mind to something.
Overwatch League is expected to launch later this year. You can check out WWG’s latest Overwatch coverage here.
[via Mashable]
