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Film production company, Stellarblade LLC, has filed a lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment and the South Korean game developer Shift Up.
The legal action, which alleges trademark infringement over the name “Stellar Blade”, was initiated earlier this month and centers on the claim that the video game title infringes upon the established branding of Stellarblade’s multimedia production business.
Stellarblade LLC, owned by Griffith Chambers Mehaffey, has been active since 2010, offering film, documentary, and music video production services. Mehaffey claims that his company has used the “Stellarblade” name publicly since 2011 and has owned the domain stellarblade.com since 2006.
According to the lawsuit, the recent rebranding of Shift Up’s game from “Project Eve” to “Stellar Blade” in 2021 has caused confusion, negatively impacting Stellarblade’s visibility online.
In fact, representatives for Stellarblade LLC argued that the video game’s prominence has “monopolized” online search results, pushing the film company into “digital obscurity” and threatening its business.
The lawsuit also points out similarities between the two trademarks, including the color scheme and a stylized “S” in their logos. Stellarblade LLC officially registered its own trademark in June 2023, following Shift Up’s trademark registration for the game in January of the same year.
The lawsuit seeks damages and attorney fees, and Mehaffey has requested that Sony and Shift Up stop using the name “Stellar Blade” or any similar variation. Additionally, he has asked that all materials bearing the “Stellar Blade” name be surrendered for destruction.
Sony has not yet commented on the case.
