Shift Up and Sony sued over Stellar Blade name in Louisiana

Shift Up and Sony are facing a lawsuit from Stellarblade LLC, a film production company based in Louisiana, over trademark infringement related to the name 'Stellar Blade.' The lawsuit was filed in September 2023 by Griffith Chambers Mehaffey, who claims that his business has been adversely affected by the game's release. He argues that prior to the game's launch, customers could easily find his work, but now they are directed to the video game instead. Mehaffey has been using the name 'Stellarblade' since 2010 and registered the domain stellarblade.com in 2006. He asserts that Shift Up and Sony were likely aware of his established rights when they adopted the name for their game, which was previously known as Project Eve until 2022. Mehaffey registered his trademark for Stellarblade in June 2023, shortly before sending a cease and desist letter to Shift Up. The lawsuit claims that the defendants' resources have monopolized online search results for 'Stellarblade,' pushing Mehaffey's business into obscurity. He is seeking damages, attorney fees, and an injunction to prevent Shift Up and Sony from using the name 'Stellar Blade' or any similar names. Additionally, he demands that all materials related to the game be handed over for destruction. The controversy surrounding the game has been compounded by its mixed reception, with some praising its gameplay while others criticize the sexualization of its main character, Eve. Despite this, 'Stellar Blade' has achieved the highest user score on MetaCritic for PS5 games released in 2024, raising its profile in the gaming community.