using or referencing the bitcoin name in a game

[jsoltani]

Hi all, the only information I found online about this topic seemed outdated and without closure. If I wanted to make a for-profit game and used the bitcoin name as the currency for it, would that be alright? If not- who would I call to ask permission?

[R2D221]

Bitcoin is not a brand. You can use it however you want.

[Studio60]

Just use it. Bitcoin belongs to the world, not any single entity. The more people use it however they want the less anybody can claim any rights to it.

[RussianRaibow]

Hi all, the only information I found online about this topic seemed outdated and without closure. If I wanted to make a for-profit game and used the bitcoin name as the currency for it, would that be alright? If not- who would I call to ask permission?

Your game... your Rule. Why bother asking permissions ?

[jsoltani]

Thanks. I didn't want to violate a trademark. I do intend to trademark my game name but I'd just like to use bitcoins as my game's currency.

[redsn0w]

Thanks. I didn't want to violate a trademark. I do intend to trademark my game name but I'd just like to use bitcoins as my game's currency.

It doesn't exist any trademark, any central authority (only the bitcoin foundation, it is a little bit strange  ) so you can use bitcoin as you internal game currency (don't worry).

[Jeremycoin]

As everyone has said, you don't need to ask a permission to someone
BTW, what kind of game do you wanna make? can I be the beta tester?

[RussianRaibow]

Thanks. I didn't want to violate a trademark. I do intend to trademark my game name but I'd just like to use bitcoins as my game's currency.

You do not intend to violate any trademark is fine. But, if you intend to trademark a name with bitcoin, then I think you'll face protest from many lobby.

[franky1]

nothing stops you using any ingame currency.. EG many games have their pretend currency as "dollars" and governments dont shout out that its counterfeit or money transfer..

.. but just be sure to subtly make your users aware that its fake "credits" called bitcoin and not actual bitcoin. otherwise many people will complain that your scamming them because they thought they were playing with/earning real bitcoins.

[futureofbitcoin]

nothing stops you using any ingame currency.. EG many games have their pretend currency as "dollars" and governments dont shout out that its counterfeit or money transfer..

.. but just be sure to subtly make your users aware that its fake "credits" called bitcoin and not actual bitcoin. otherwise many people will complain that your scamming them because they thought they were playing with/earning real bitcoins.

That. It will DEFINITELY happen. I can't understand how stupid some people in the world are, but they're everywhere. You'll have your hands full with all the complaints that will come, even if you say "This is a game currency, not the "real" bitcoin" somewhere on every page.

But then, because of this, you'll get "players" that you would not have gotten otherwise, since they think they can earn real bitcoins.

[fdylstyx]

hmmm...I think there's some heavy players getting involved that just might start to throw lawyers at stuff like this. Just because they can.

Who's going to spend their own money paying lawyers to fight over the word bitcoin? Certainly not The Bitcoin Foundation, but I'm sure they'll hold themselves up as hired experts for litigation purposes.

We increasingly see, as bitcoin grows into the economic consciousness, just because it's not "owned" by any one person or group does not make it immune to law(s).


fdyl

[Remember remember the 5th of November]

Didn't Mark Karpeles trademark it?

[dothebeats]

Didn't Mark Karpeles trademark it?

Does he have the right to do so in the first place?

EDIT: Found this article, just the first article to appear if you searched Mark Karpeles bitcoin trademark:
http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/05/mt-gox-looks-to-raise-1-million-in-sale-of-bitcoin-trademarks/

[Amph]

Thanks. I didn't want to violate a trademark. I do intend to trademark my game name but I'd just like to use bitcoins as my game's currency.

bitcoin don't belong to anyone, this is is strengh, anyway i actually encourage you to use it as a currency in game, the more game using it the better, maybe some tournaments with a small reward

[Kyraishi]

Feel free to use it as much as you can.
There is no single entity or group that owns Bitcoin.
At least the platform.
There are many that own Bitcons 

[jsoltani]

Ok, what about the bitcoin logo? Can I also use that?

[RodeoX]

Ok, what about the bitcoin logo? Can I also use that?

There are many. Just google image search for one with re-use for commercial purposes rights.

Like these, you can mod them or whatever.
https://www.google.com/search?q=bitcoin+logo&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=sghaVbGADoWtogTrwoGYBA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1084&bih=666&dpr=0.9#q=bitcoin+logo&tbm=isch&tbs=sur:fmc

This is a good one that is used a lot.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/14065898024_ed1c068d4a_h.jpg

[WhatTheGox]

Didn't Mark Karpeles trademark it?

Think he tried to trademark it, what a douche  .... i remember all his talk of doing good for the bitcoin community.

[thebenjamincode]

yeah i think bitcoin is for all that's why you should use it whenever you want