Activision, an indie developer and the battle over the 'Warzone' name

A trademark applies to a word, design, phrase or combination thereof that identifies goods or services as coming from a certain company or source, like McDonalds' Golden Arches or Kellogg's Tony The Tiger. Registering a trademark prevents other businesses or individuals from registering the mark and secures nationwide rights for the registrant, as long as they continue using it in business. What complicates the contest between Ficker and Activision is that the party that first applies for rights over a certain mark does not necessarily grant that party the rights. Essentially, registration with the federal government is not required to gain such rights.