The Nintendo Switch has proven to be incredibly popular over that past couple months, and despite a limited selection of console exclusives, there are nearly no negative voices against Nintendo’s newest console. Except for a church. This isn’t some weirdly misguided attempt at demonizing whatever popular thing the kids are doing (although I am certain fidget spinners must be the work of the devil). Actually, Life Covenant Church, Inc. is looking to oppose Nintendo of America’s trademark for “Nintendo Switch.”
According to a post on NeoGAF, Life Covenant Church, Inc., a charitable, non-profit organization from Oklahoma filed the request to oppose the trademark on May 24th, 2017. The reason why they’re doing this, apparently, is because the organization has a youth ministry called Switch which already has three pending trademark applications attached to it, plus four older trademarks.
Both the Nintendo Switch and Life Covenant share trademarks in common goods and services, mainly for pens, pencils, stickers, etc. Life Covenant Church, Inc., has been using its trademark for pencils and the like since 2005, beating Nintendo by more than ten years. Further complicating matters is the similarity in logos. Life Covenant Church’s Switch logo uses a typeface that is very similar to Nintendo’s Switch logo.
It looks like Life Covenant Church, Inc. might be in the right here, based on the whole “we were here first” thing. Does this mean Nintendo will have to rename the Switch? Will Nintendo have to give in to the church?
Of course not. This is Nintendo we’re talking about. They’ll just pull all the affected goods and services from their application, or reach a settlement with the church.