Iron Maiden have hit a software company with a $2 million lawsuit over the name of a game.
The rock giants are suing developer 3D Realms over their Early Access first-person shooter Ion Maiden which is available for PC.
It’s reported that the lawsuit, which was filed in the Central District of California earlier this week, argues that the game could cause “confusion among customers” due to its title, and could lead people to believe it’s a spin-off of Iron Maiden’s The Legacy Of The Beast game.
The legal papers also point to the game’s lead character Shelly Harrison, which is similar to Iron Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris, and the game’s logo, which features a skull graphic, said to be similar to Maiden mascot and cover star Eddie.
3D Realms, the company behind games including Duke Nukem and Max Payne, have since responded to the news on Twitter saying: “We’ve recently heard about a lawsuit filed in California by the band Iron Maiden, claiming our old-school first-person shooter Ion Maiden is infringing on their trademark.
“From what we’ve heard, the suit claims our main character, Shelly Harrison, originally debuting in 2016’s Bombshell, is based on their musician Steve Harris; our skull bomb icon found in-game is based on their skeleton mascot Eddie; our logo in itself is based on theirs; and other frivolous claims anyone who has played Ion Maiden would find more over the top than Shelly’s “Loverboy”, her signature 18-round triple-barrelled revolver.
“We at 3D Realms, our co-publishers 1C Entertainment, and developer Voidpoint will review our options once we receive official notice of the lawsuit and will make any necessary decisions at the appropriate time.”
They add: “Regardless, everyone continues to work diligently on Ion Maiden to deliver the best possible experience later this year.”
Meanwhile, Iron Maiden are currently preparing to take The Legacy Of The Beast tour to the US, Canada and South America, with the first show set to take place at the Sunrise BB&T Center in Florida on July 18.
(1/4) We’ve recently heard about a lawsuit filed in California by the band Iron Maiden, claiming our old-school first-person shooter Ion Maiden (@Bombshell_Game) is infringing on their trademark.From what we’ve heard, the suit claims our main character...May 30, 2019
