The Learning Company (Boston, MA) has sued Zynga, Inc. (San Francisco, CA) for infringement of the trademark THE OREGON TRAIL for video games. The Learning Company, a division of Houghton Mifflin, have used the mark for The Oregon Trail education video game since the 70s. The Learning Company originally approached Zynga (makers of Mafia Wars, FarmVille, etc.) regarding making a Facebook version of The Oregon Trail but The Learning Company partnered with someone else instead. In connection with the game FrontierVille, Zynga began using the name OREGON TRAIL. Not surprisingly, The Learning Company did not approve. The Learning Company defriended Zynga and filed lawsuit.
The Learning Company v. Zynga, Inc., 11-10894-MLW (D. Mass. May 18, 2011)
Comments