Sony had previously trademarked the PS Vita name for a number of use-cases, since the handheld could do so much more than just play games, unlike its much more limited predecessor, the PSP. However, due to non-usage of many rights within the trademark, the EU General Court has revoked Sony’s licenses in certain aspects.
As reported by GamesIndustry, the PS Vita trademark license is now open to other parties to use for “data carriers containing programs” and “audio and/or image carriers (not of paper)”. A company by the name of Vieta Audio had filed a case of revoking the license in 2011, and PlayStation had previously argued against the action in the court of law. The Cancellation Division and the Board of Appeal rejected Sony’s appeal, and last month the General Court also joined the fray.
The PlayStation Vita does qualify both the aforementioned categories since it’s capable of carrying data, photos, and music, but they play second fiddle to its main purpose of playing games as a handheld console. London law firm Wiggin also stated that similar actions might be taken against other game companies if trademark licenses are not used in commerce.