On January 23, Atari put out a press launch disavowing “RealPongCoin” or “$PONG,” a brand new crypto meme coin whose account on X, “The Every part App,” was launched that very same day. Although the corporate was as soon as poised to go all-in on crypto and NFTs itself, Atari has since shuttered that facet of the enterprise and refocused on retro recreation publishing and videogame historical past.
“RealPongCoin or $PONG is utilizing Atari’s registered PONG trademark with out Atari’s consent or approval and the corporate has no affiliation with the crypto mission,” the press launch reads. “Atari is warning the general public that RealPongCoin dangers deceiving shoppers by suggesting an affiliation with Atari, and that Atari’s authorized workforce is actively reviewing measures to cease the misuse of its mental property.”
A fast check-up on RealPongCoin doesn’t encourage a lot confidence. On Google, information of Atari’s assertion on the matter swamps something put out by $PONG itself, with the meme coin’s major footprint being a desolate X account and a largely empty web site that declares, “It is not over… Sure it is actual…,” with hyperlinks to a Telegram channel, blockchain contract, and portal to buy $PONG.
Adopting a authorized technique from the “you must inform me if you happen to’re a cop” faculty of jurisprudence, the $PONG X account declares “not affiliated with Atari” in two separate locations. A disclaimer on the web site asserts it “isn’t designed to be, or to be perceived as, an funding alternative, funding contract, or safety of any variety.” That latter disclaimer appears to have change into a little bit of a boilerplate fig leaf of deniability adopted by new crypto tasks to defend towards prosecution over their important nature as poorly-regulated securities—the brand new TrumpCoin boasts the same disclaimer.
All of which begs the query: Why even waste your breath over a clown present like this when you’ll be able to simply let your authorized workforce take it out behind the shed with minimal fanfare? “My ‘not concerned with this shitcoin’ press launch has individuals asking loads of questions answered by my press launch.”
The issue is that if you happen to hadn’t been following the corporate intently, you would be forgiven for pondering it had fallen again in with a foul crowd. For some time within the late ’10s and early ’20s, Atari was a little bit of an innovator within the artwork of the ill-considered crypto pivot, with a metaverse land deal, ATRI tokens, and a few sort of hypebeast lodge main us all to marvel what had occurred to the writer.
However then issues took one other flip: Present CEO Wade Rosen has overseen the quiet shuttering of its extra crypto and meme-adjacent ventures whereas making a wise shift towards retro publishing and video games preservation. Atari acquired videogame business database MobyGames, in addition to the retro remake-focused builders Digital Eclipse and Nightdive, and all three look to be in fine condition. MobyGames continues to function as traditional, simply with an up to date infrastructure and UI, Digital Eclipse lately launched the Energy Rangers brawler Rita’s Rewind, and Nightdive is contemporary off the launch of its remaster of The Factor.
So the ship’s been circled, however that is exactly why Atari has extra purpose than most to vociferously denounce a fly-by-night crypto rip-off flying the flag of its IP. Even nonetheless, I do not know the way the corporate will overcome the ironclad authorized protection of “no copyright infringement supposed.”
