Flappy Bird makes an unlikely comeback after its creator apparently let the trademark lapse and the vultures swept right in

GamesActionFlappy BirdFlappy Bird makes an unlikely comeback after its creator apparently let the trademark lapse and the vultures swept right inWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Flappy Bird Foundation)

Flappy Bird (2024) key art - a flapping cartoon bird

Update 09/16/24: Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen has now confirmed he has nothing to do with this relaunch.Full story here.

A decade ago Flappy Bird, a crude but colourful autorun-style game, became a viral hit on mobile. It was so successful, in fact, that it became a millstone for its creator, Vietnamese programmer Dong Nguyen, who at the height of the game’s popularity (and profitability) made the unprecedented decision to remove the game from sale entirely. Nguyen would laterrationalise his decision thus: “I can call Flappy Bird a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.”

The return of Flappy Bird has now been announced: but Nguyen is nowhere to be seen. This October relaunch comes from a group called The Flappy Bird Foundation, which the press release describes as “a new team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world” who have “spearheaded the acquisition of the official trademark.”

As this was going on,the US patent office granted a trademark registration for Flappy Birdin 2018 (four years after the game was removed from sale) to another Delaware company called Mobile Media Matters. While I can’t be exact on the link between Mobile Media Matters and Gametech, both companies' legal filings give the same Delaware address.

So… not really sure how to feel about that. It should be said that Nguyen quite explicitly wanted Flappy Bird out of his life, and has completely withdrawn from his online presence (his last tweets wereseven years ago). Whether that makes it cool for others to just take the game over via lawyers and relaunch it as the “original” is another matter, but the US Patent and Trademark Office, in the absence of any defence from Nguyen, has acquiesced.

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“Today is a milestone not just in gaming but for me personally,” says Kek. “It’s so cool to see how influential Piou Piou has been for developers and hundreds of millions of gamers over the years. It’s incredible to work alongside such a dedicated team of fans and creators who are truly passionate about changing the industry narrative and together bringing the original Flappy Bird back to life.”

I’m not sure what “changing the industry narrative” is about. Way back in 2014, Kek saidhe’d contacted Nguyen about the resemblance, “and he told me he doesn’t think he knew about my game when he made Flappy Bird. The games are very similar. And even if I did not invent the gameplay concept, the graphics are very close, and, of course, the concept.”

The games are undeniably similar, but there are differences, and obviously the most important one is that, for whatever reason, Piou Piou didn’t do much while Flappy Bird went stratospheric with a similar idea three years later.

FLAPPY BIRD IS BACK! - YouTubeWatch On

FLAPPY BIRD IS BACK! - YouTube

I’ve asked the Flappy Bird Foundation about aspects of the legal process, the links between Gametech and Mobile Media Matters, and how long it has spent trying to wrest this trademark from the game’s creator. I have also contacted Dong Nguyen’s solicitor. I’ll update with any response from either.

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