Riot Games applies for domestic trademark over LOL Champions Korea (LCK)


*This is not an official translation. Source article:

http://www.hungryapp.co.kr/news/news_view.php?bcode=news&pid=37285&catecode=010

or

http://news.naver.com/sports/index.nhn?category=e_sports&ctg=news&mod=read&oid=479&aid=0000019699&redirect=true&spi_ref=m_sports_twitter

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...Amidst the recent dispute between Riot Games Korea, OGN, and SpoTV, Riot Games headquarters has submitted a domestic trademark application over LoL Champions Korea (LCK).

According to Hungryapp, 'Riot Games Inc' (Riot Games) has been confirmed to have recently submitted a trademark application (application #4520150010802) on November 25 and is currently in the registration process.

One can easily see that the trademark is concerning LoL Champions Korea by the trademark's image and the trademark description that reads: 'Videogame gameplay and videogame match broadcasting', 'tournament preparation and organization business of videogame and computer game play'

With the trademark application being made on November 25 which is prior to December 3, the day of the multiparty broadcasting announcement of the 2016 LoL Champions Korea, it can be said that Riot Games has been making preemptive measures for their claims over LoL Champions and other events.

In response to the trademark application one employee ("related person") from Riot Games Korea has stated, "This trademark application is simply part of the preparations for the official sports legitimization of eSports. It is purely a coincidence that one of our long-term projects has taken place at the end of November, and the trademark application has nothing to do with the recent LoL Champions broadcasting dispute. Please don't get the wrong idea."

With the Korean esports association (KESPA) acting as the mediator of the dispute while saying Riot Games has full rights over LoL Champions, it will be interesting to see how Riot Games' 'LoL Champions' trademark application affects the current situation.

Hungryapp writer Kim Kyung-tae (kkt@monawa.com)

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