Trademarking "It's On Like Donkey Kong"

[Cobra Commander]

Lawsuits that is.
So yeah. Nintendo wants to trademark that slogan.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/11/10/on.like.donkey.kong/index.html?hpt=T2

[Hawksmoor]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/11/10/on.like.donkey.kong/index.html?hpt=T2

I find this absolutely laughable. Hopefully their trademark application gets denied. Also, towards the bottom of the article, there's a paragraph about Donkey Kong's origins, claiming "His name came when the Japanese company wanted to show how stubborn he was. (Mario, incidentally, is reportedly named for the landlord of the Nintendo of America building)."

I thought Donkey Kong's name came about as a result of a mistranslation; he was originally to be called Monkey Kong. Did I just imagine that or is the author of the article full of it?

[jb143]

I always thought that saying was rather silly. Can they even trademark such a thing? If I wanted to trademark some random phrase could I? Sounds to me more like some marketing/publicity stunt for 'Donkey Kong Country Returns' that is coming out here pretty soon.

And I've always heard the Donkey=stubborn Kong=giant gorilla story.

[Rob2600]

Lawsuits that is.
So yeah. Nintendo wants to trademark that slogan.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/11/10/on.like.donkey.kong/index.html?hpt=T2

I just read the article and there's no mention of a lawsuit.

"Nintendo filed a request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to trademark the pop-culture phrase, 'It's on like Donkey Kong.'"

[Enigmus]

Lawsuits that is.
So yeah. Nintendo wants to trademark that slogan.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/11/10/on.like.donkey.kong/index.html?hpt=T2

First, random slogans, next is Walt Nintendo World down in Florida. LOL

[Rob2600]

First, random slogans, next is Walt Nintendo World down in Florida. LOL

Nintendo World already exists. It's in NYC:

http://www.nintendoworldstore.com/

[Flack]

The bottom of that article suggests that this might just be a publicity stunt, and I think maybe they're right. I don't know much about trademarking slogans, but can you even trademark a phrase that's been in the public domain for years? I know you can trademark simple phrases ("Just Do It", "Have a Coke and a Smile"), but those are things those companies came up with.

If this phrase is trademarked I will begin saying things are OFF like Donkey Kong.

[Cobra Commander]

I just read the article and there's no mention of a lawsuit.

"Nintendo filed a request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to trademark the pop-culture phrase, 'It's on like Donkey Kong.'"
No of course not, but if they did own it, don't you think there would be a lawsuit if they opportunity arose?

[jb143]

I thought for sure I already posted in this thread :?

Edit-
Oh, I did...nevermind...
http://box422.bluehost.com/~videogc7/forum/showthread.php?t=149143

[Emuaust]

Well this thread was created first...

[SegaAges]

In college, I used to say "drop it like some tetris pieces" around when the Snoop Dogg song Drop it like It's Hot came out. Maybe I should trademark that stupid quote

[kupomogli]

Leave it to Nintendo to file a patent based on a slogan they never came up with in hopes to get royalties every time someone else makes reference to it.

[Snapple]

People want to trademark everything just to try and scam royalties. Donald Trump wanted to trademark "You're fired."

[Berserker]

What's the point of trademarking a phrase that contains a name that (I'm guessing) they've already trademarked? It doesn't seem like anyone else would be able to profit off of it as-is.

[jb143]

People want to trademark everything just to try and scam royalties. Donald Trump wanted to trademark "You're fired."

George Lucas trademarked the name "droid" way back when. All he did was lop off the 'an' from android. Verizon now pays him royalties to use the term.

[Rob2600]

George Lucas trademarked the name "droid" way back when. All he did was lop off the 'an' from android. Verizon now pays him royalties to use the term.

What up with that?

http://paunchstevenson.com/what-up-with-that-450x324.jpg (http://www.hulu.com/watch/110316/saturday-night-live-what-up-with-that-al-gore)

[Greg2600]

Lucas you could say originated the term droid. Nintendolt had absolutely nothing to do with this phrase.

[buzz_n64]

None of the gamers I know personally say that line. I only hear it from non-gamers, maybe some Madden players, and people trying to be cool on tv. Even being so, it has been used for a loooong time, and now that it's a popular phrase, the big N wants in on some cash, too late. However, can't they still do something because their trademark name is in the phrase? I'm sure if you tried making a film entitled "It's On Like Donkey Kong" Nintendo would have rights for royalties or to sue.

[Matt-El]

All i can think of is Manning saying that on that Oreo commercial. Oh yeah and that one song by blood on the dance floor.

[Jisho23]

Does anyone else think this is actually a really creative and kind of awesome publicity stunt? Seriously, I thought the big N didn't have a sense humor left.

[heybtbm]

In my many years on this planet, I've never heard someone say "It's on like Donkey Kong". Not even once.

Smells like a conveniently timed publicity stunt for a certain new game starring a big ape.

[exit]

In my many years on this planet, I've never heard someone say "It's on like Donkey Kong". Not even once.

I remember hearing it a lot when I was younger, I think it's a term that wasn't widely popular, but was used enough for it to be recognizable by most. This also reminds of the time when Paris Hilton tried to sue Hallmark for using the phrase "That's Hot!", which of course was thrown out the window.

[jb143]

The only time I remember hearing it was fairly recently I think on a movie preview(though I could be wrong). I remember thinking "What the heck? Why on Earth would anyone say such a thing? It sounds stupid and makes no sense. Do they think it rhymes or something?...oh well"

[joshnickerson]

It's just a marketing stunt people, nothing more. It's got everybody talkin' about Donkey Kong now, right? Oh, and there's a new Donkey Kong game coming out this month? Oh, what a coincidence!

[punkoffgirl]

It's like combining peanut butter and chocolate, into one mouthful of bliss..

Well, threads merged, anyway.

[Matt-El]

Then how about "Get a clue, Clu?"


"It's on like Tron" sounds better.

[ubikuberalles]

How about "In like Flynn?" Oh..wait..It's (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089332/combined) been done (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Like_Flynn).

How about: "It's time to SLAM, Ram!"

or

"Jump the Shark, Sark!"

or

"I don't give a Sh**, Bit!"

[rkotm]

All this so they can a)earn bragging rights, B)print shirts up and sell them at Hot topic and c) MAYBE this should be the tag line for DKC Returns- "Its on like Donkey Kong." with the period to emphasize movie-like grandness, like Donkey Kong being a grand size ape. Joking, of course.

[skaar]

The phrase has the name of a character they own rights to in it so I see nothing wrong with them filing for trademark. Also if you're not defending your trademarks/copyrights they have grounds to claim public domain later and you can't do anything about it.

Put the pitchforks away, jeez.

[NaturalChemical]

This is a pretty good way to pick up publicity for the new DK game, though, no matter how you look at it. But I agree that it's a bit ridiculous to do it for any other reason. Or, as Stephen Colbert put it...


I assume they’re still finishing the paperwork to trademark other Nintendo-centric phrases like “Don’t front like Duck Hunt”, “I’m gonna bring the painia like Castlevania”, and “Nah, I don’t feel like playing Kirby’s Adventure.”

[SpaceHarrier]

well there you go

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii158/ayumifanatic/itsondkcr.jpg

from Kotaku http://kotaku.com/5696981/well-they-actually-did-it

[Gameguy]

It's on like Super Pong! Fixed.

[Zing]

Anyone who listened to rap in the early 90s should be familiar with this phrase.