In the "It"s so crazy, it must be true" department, we present to you the latest trademark that has been filed and claimed by Microsoft from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A few days ago, the company was given the rights to the term ... "Tailgaming."
Yes, someone has merged the "gaming" term with the one that is used to describe the practice of sitting outside a big stadium, usually with a truck, to cook burgers and drink beer before a big football game, otherwise known as "tailgating." According to the official USPTO filing, Microsoft is using the new "tailgaming" trademark to describe something that"s related to "arranging and conducting special events for social entertainment purposes."
We suspect strongly that the company will be using the "tailgaming" term for something related to its Xbox One launch. We have emailed Microsoft for comment, but perhaps it is using the name to talk about its mobile Xbox One display that"s currently touring the U.S, Microsoft"s Larry Hryb recently uploaded a video that shows the Xbox One Test Drive Truck being set up and then broken back down again. It looks a bit like what "tailgaming" might be all about, but that doesn"t mean we would trademark the name.
Update: We just heard back from Microsoft who told us, "Microsoft often acquires various trademarks as part of its ongoing business strategy, but beyond that we have nothing to announce."
Source: USPTO | Image via USPTO