The troubled MMO from Fntastic is reportedly going by a new name, Dayworld, when it releases. However, reports are indicating that a book trilogy from the 1990s has a similar name, which could open up a new can of worms for the perennially delayed game.
WellPlayed first reported that the developer recently filed a joint trademark for the name “Dayworld” with Mytona, the MMO’s publisher. The trademark has been filed under Mytona Fntastic, which was reportedly a newly formed venture that involves the studio and the publisher based in New Zealand. The trademark has been filed under many categories including “downloadable game software; computer game software downloadable from a global computer network; downloadable computer game software for use on mobile devices.”
The upcoming MMO may be in for another trademark dispute following the new filing. Dayworld is also the name of a book trilogy American author Philip José Farmer published between 1985 and 1990.
While the report indicates that there is no evidence of an existing trademark filing for the Dayworld novels, it does not guarantee that Mytona Fntastic will not have issues with the book’s publisher Putnam Publishing Group, which is owned by the Penguin Group.
The trilogy of dystopian novels is still being offered for sale on various digital retailers by publisher Open Road Media. The new trademark filing may be a repeat of the issue with the original name of the survival horror game. Authorities has reportedly yet to examine the trademark, so Fntastic may have an unpleasant surprise coming it’s way.
The Day Before was scheduled to release back in March before the studio made a surprise announcement that it would be delaying the game by nine months due to a copyright strike. The trademark for The Day Before was contested by a Korean company that developed a calendar app. “We currently hold trademark rights in Korea, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, Vietnam, and the European Union,” ‘The Day Before’ CEO Lee Sun-jae said.
What happened afterward was even more bizarre. Fntastic released a statement after the copyright issue stating that it already planned to delay the release before the trademark dispute cropped up. Steam responded to the copyright strike by removing the game listing for The Day Before.
The Day Before or Dayworld has still not returned to Steam even as the game is scheduled to release in two and a half months. Fntastic has seemingly gone radio-silent about the upcoming title. Understandably, gamers are doubting that the game will be released this year. Some even question if the survival MMO will ever be released at all.
The Day Before was slated for release on November 10, but it’s unclear if this will push its launch back even further.
