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Microsoft received its first trademark for HALO in 2002.[/caption]

Video games can be addictive. Bill introduced me to a new video game yesterday. I may or may not have played it from 10:00 p.m. last night until 5:00 a.m. today. This fact is not lost on video game makers, and they certainly know the importance of protecting their highly addictive products.

This week, both Nintendo and Microsoft filed cryptic new trademark applications that appear to be related to upcoming video games. Nintendo filed an "Intent to Use" application seeking to protect the mark CODE NAME S.T.E.A.M. STRIKE TEAM ELIMINATING THE ALIEN MENACE. Last week, Bill wrote about "Intent to Use" trademark applications here. Meanwhile, Microsoft is attempting to trademark SNAP ATTACK. Notably, neither game has been officially announced. This demonstrates how willing the big players in the gaming world are to protect potential brands.

As always, we highly recommend protecting your intellectual property with appropriate trademarks as early in the brand-buidling process as possible. I suspect Nintendo and Microsoft would make the same recommendation, especially in the gaming world. Each has numerous trademarks related to its most important video game brands. For example, Microsoft has a dozen active registered marks related to its Halo frachise. Not suprisingly, Nintendo has dozens of active registered marks for its Mario franchise, including several related to Super Smash Brothers. A highly anticipated new version of Super Smash Brothers will be released this year. Check out the trailer below while you contemplate protecting your trademarks in a manner similar to Nintendo and Microsoft.

The lawyers at Trademarkology provide online trademark registration services backed by the experience and service of one of the nation's oldest law firms. Click here to begin the process of protecting your brand name with a federally registered trademark.