The Sad Saga of the Weemote
Jul. 28
Get ready to read something really depressing!
As reported by Time, and elaborated upon by GamePolitics, a small company called Fobis Technologies released a product called the Weemote in 2000. It's a cutesy TV remote for very little kids that lets parents block out channels.
In 2006, Nintendo announced the Wii Remote, which the Internet promptly nicknamed the 'Wiimote'. Suddenly sales of Fobis Technologies's Weemote sank. Fobis's president John Stephen argues this is because wide use of "Wiimote" for the Wii Remote on consumer sites dilutes visibility of the Weemote brand.
Stephen wants Nintendo to buy the Weemote brand so Fobis can then develop something new. Nintendo, however, has refused to do so. The company doesn't own the term 'Wiimote' and doesn't use it in their marketing. That leaves Fobis stuck spamming retailers with C&D letters to try and stop use of "Wiimote" in ads while sales get worse.
See? Depressing.
Comments
Crap... I was already depressed, and now I'm even MORE deppressed...
Okay now this is just a bunch of s***. It is not called the Wiimote, its called the Wii Remote! How can Nintendo be held responsible for a nickname their product was given.
That is really sad. I'm curious, though. Is Nintendo actually unable to do anything about it or are they basically just saying "not our problem, guys"?
They're saying "not our problem" (which, well, it isn't). The Time article points out that in the past, when Microsoft has put small companies in similar situations, they've bought out the brand and then helped the other guy think of a new, more distinct one. That said, in most of the Microsoft cases it wasn't a nickname for a product leading to the brand dilution.
For a moment, I thought this was a gag...
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