The owners of Naughty Dog opposed the registration of the "Naughty Cat" trademark in the US
Recently, the Hong Kong gaming company Naughty Cat decided to register a trademark of the same name in the United States and submitted an application to the relevant American bureau. This move caused significant discontent within Sony Corporation, which has owned the studio Naughty Dog for over twenty years.
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Sony filed an official objection. In their complaint, they stated that the trademark "Naughty Cat" is confusingly similar to the trademark "Naughty Dog"—both in meaning and in "overall commercial impression."
The corporation noted that the first word in both trademarks is the same, and the second refers to a domestic animal: a cat in the case of "Naughty Cat" and a dog in the case of "Naughty Dog." This could mislead consumers. According to Sony, people might mistakenly assume that the Hong Kong company is somehow related to them. Ultimately, Sony asserts, registering the "Naughty Cat" trademark would harm both its reputation and consumers.
The company Naughty Cat must respond to Sony's objection by July 12. If they fail to do so, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will have the right to reject their application and deny registration. Should Naughty Cat decide to defend their trademark, a legal battle with Sony could begin in 2026.
Naughty Cat specializes in mobile gambling games. However, the company itself prefers to call them skill-based games, noting that victory depends on the players' skills rather than chance. Currently, their portfolio includes two titles—Bubble Bravo and Cash Trip.