Among the many terms I try to avoid using on this site, “Wiimote” is definitely high on the list. Sure, I may slip a few times, but the fact is it’s not Nintendo’s name for the iconic Wii Remote. Now, it turns out that the “Wiimote” term coined by the fans has caused permanent damages to Fobis Technologies.

Fobis’ Weemote is a child-targetted TV remote that has had its name trademarked since 2000. When Nintendo fan use of the term “Wiimote” destroyed their product’s identity, the company conceded and looked to sell the trademark to Nintendo while working to rebrand its product. Unfortunately for Fobis, Nintendo has nothing to gain from such a deal, and declined the offer.

You’d hope that Nintendo would lend a hand to a company hurt by the release of the Wii, seeing as Nintendo owns the Wiimote trademark in Europe and the Wiimote domain name in Canada. Thanks to Mike for the heads up.

TIME
via Game Politics