Iron Maiden believes the game Ion Maiden from 3D Realms rips off its name and logo and has filed suit in California federal court claiming trademark infringement. Iron Maiden’s logo and typeface as been registered in the United States since 1984.
Ion Maiden developed the Build Engine that first ran Duke Nukem 3D. The game began life as Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction until a 2014 lawsuit by Gearbox Software forced 3D Realms to invent a new character and storyline. The lawsuit was settled in 2015, with a statement affirming Gearbox as the sole owner of the Duke Nukem franchise.
Ion Maiden’s Logo (Steam marketplace):
Now for those how are not are old enough to have drawn this logo in junior high
You make the call? (Sorry IBM, see the video below to understand an old person joke)
The lawsuit also claimed that the main character, Shelly Harrison, was named in reference to Iron Maiden founder and songwriter Steve Harris, and that “Ion Maiden” has “the same look and feel” as “Legacy of the Beast,” the band’s own game.
3D Realms responded to the lawsuit in a statement, also posted on Twitter, describing the claims as “frivolous.”
“We’ve recently heard about a lawsuit filed in California by the band Iron Maiden, claiming our old-school first-person shooter Ion Maiden is infringing on their trademark,” the company said.
(1/4) We’ve recently heard about a lawsuit filed in California by the band Iron Maiden, claiming our old-school first-person shooter Ion Maiden (@Bombshell_Game) is infringing on their trademark.
From what we’ve heard, the suit claims our main character…
— 3D Realms (@3DRealms) May 30, 2019
Iron Maiden’s complaint asks for $2 million in statutory damages, more in compensatory damages along with he cancellation of the ionmaiden.com domain or transfer of its ownership to the band.
