Starcraft Defense iPad game hits the App Store, unrelated to Blizzard

Here’s a quick refresher course on global trademark law: you can’t make a fizzy drink called Coke Extreme, you can’t make a social network called Facebooks and you definitely can’t make a tower defence game for iPad called Starcraft Defense.

Made by developer imohoo, Starcraft Defense is a self-proclaimed “awesome” strategy game that has you fending off waves of enemy aliens to protect your homeworld.

It looks like it plays similarly to Fieldrunners, and despite flirting with trademark infringement it seems to be a pretty deep game: lots of levels, good graphics, and leaderboards.

But then there’s that name. Even more egregious than Gameloft’s StarFront: Collision, this tactical iPad game simply pilfers Blizzard’s registered trademark outright.

Whether or not imohoo “intends to deceive” with Starcraft Defense is a matter of personal interpretation, though the fact that it's a strategy game set in a battle between aliens and space marines probably won't help should Blizzard decide to sue for damages.

But it’s more likely that the World of Warcraft developer will file a cease and desist letter to Apple, the game will disappear from iTunes, and crop up a few weeks later with a completely different name.

Until then, consider this our public service announcement: this game isn’t related to Blizzard and its RTS Starcraft, so save your $4.99.