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“FUS RO DAH” Trademarked by ZeniMax Media

We all know, or should know, the pleasure of FUS RO DAH-ing a frost troll off High Hrothgar. Now ZeniMax Media is trademarking the famous dragon shout. In several trademark applications filed on April...
“FUS RO DAH” Trademarked by ZeniMax Media
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  • We all know, or should know, the pleasure of FUS RO DAH-ing a frost troll off High Hrothgar. Now ZeniMax Media is trademarking the famous dragon shout.

    In several trademark applications filed on April 4th ZeniMax Media, Inc., the parent company of Bethesda, the game development studio which created The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, filed multiple trademarks for the words “FUS RO DAH” for use on just about any merchandise that it could conceivably be printed on.

    The six patents filed each cover specific types of merchandise:

    • Toys and action figures; playing cards, dice, and board games; bobble-head dolls; sporting equipment
    • Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line interactive computer games and providing information relating to electronic computer games via the internet
    • Computer game software for use with computers and video game consoles; downloadable computer game software offered via the internet and wireless devices; cell phone cases; downloadable cell phone ringtones; digital tablet cases; smart phone cases; mouse pads; eyeglass cases; head phones
    • Computer and video game user instruction manuals; magazines, books, and pamphlets concerning video games; computer and video game strategy guide books and magazines; trading cards, maps, posters, advertisement boards of paper or cardboard, art prints
    • Bags, namely, backpacks, duffel bags, knapsacks, book bags, athletic bags, and cosmetic bags, sold empty
    • Clothing, namely, T-shirts, shirts, sweatshirts, fleece pullovers; headwear, namely, hats

    Will we see any of this merchandise in the near future, or is ZeniMax just covering its bases and making sure nobody else is making money off of their products? I, for one, would love to see a Skyrim board game or table-top RPG. Or a dragon-shouting Dovahkiin action figure with interchangeable duel-wield weapons and collectible dragon bones.

    It’s understandable that ZeniMax and Bethesda would want to lock this trademark down so that they can market all types of Skyrim merchandise using the famous phrase. However, the dragon shout itself has entered pop culture in a big way since Skyrim’s release last year, and the game’s fan base has really claimed the shout as its own. Here’s hoping ZeniMax doesn’t use its new trademarks to tamp down on creative projects such as this one, posted to YouTube by Corridor Digital:

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