Reddit 'gaymers' fight for online forum vs trademark claims

A group of Reddit "gaymers" is fighting to protect the name of their online forum against a website operator that registered the term as a trademark. In a petition filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the group contested the operator, who claimed it infringed his trademark rights. The group asked the USPTO to cancel the "gaymer" trademark registration so people around the world could continue to use the word without interference. Reddit gaymers are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community who have an active interest in video games, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the law firm Perkins Coie. "This registration should never have been granted. Gaymer is a common term that refers to members of this vibrant gaming community, and we are happy to help them fight back and make sure the term goes back to the public domain where it belongs," said EFF Intellectual Property Director Corynne McSherry. The row started when blogger Chris Vizzini registered the trademark after creating a website targeting the gaymer community at gaymer.org. Vizzini then sent a cease-and-desist letter complaining about the long-running subreddit group called r/gaymers. In their petition, they said the term "gaymer" had been in widespread use for years before Vizzini applied for a trademark. Also, they noted, there is even a GaymerCon conference. "Trademarks have one primary purpose: to protect consumers from confusion about the source of goods or services. This registration isn't being used to protect consumers – it's being used to threaten free speech," said EFF Staff Attorney Julie Samuels. - AMD, GMA News