Sony, owner of Naughty Dog, has filed an official opposition to the “Naughty Cat” trademark application.
Sony Interactive Entertainment filed the Notice of Opposition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) against the “Naughty Cat” trademark application submitted by a company called Naughty Cat Co., Limited.
This Hong Kong-based company has two apps listed on the App Store, both “games” that offer betting and promise to reward users with real money.
In documents reviewed by IGN, Sony’s lawyers argued that the Naughty Cat trademark is “confusingly similar” to the Naughty Dog trademark it owns, “in terms of overall commercial impression and connotation.”
“The first dominant element of both marks, NAUGHTY, is identical,” Sony stated. “The second elements, DOG and CAT, are highly similar as they both refer to pets and may mislead consumers into mistakenly believing that Naughty Cat is affiliated with SIE and/or Naughty Dog or that its products are licensed or approved by SIE and/or Naughty Dog.”
Naughty Cat Co., Limited has until July 12 to respond to Sony’s opposition. Otherwise, the USPTO may declare the application abandoned, and Sony would win. If not, the dispute could go to trial in 2026.
