In fact, the Japanese studio acquired the trademark from the publisher last year, it just became known about this only now
According to a document released by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, ownership of the Elden Ring trademark has passed from Bandai Namco to FromSoftware. The document is dated March 2023.
Lawyer Richard Hoeg of Hoeg Law noted that the trademark transfer applies only to the name “Elden Ring,” and not to the intellectual property itself. Transfer of rights to the game does not require mandatory state registration.
Elden Ring was released in February 2022. According to Bandai Namco and FromSoftware, the game sold over 20 million copies in its first year.
(news cover source: Bandai Namco)