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PlayStation police simulator violates ‘NYPD’ trademark

By
Social Links for Chris Harris
Published July 6, 2024, 1:57 p.m. ET

A police simulation video game recently-released for Sony’s PlayStation console violates trademarks owned by the cities of New York and Los Angeles, The Post confirmed.

Since May 23, “Cop Officers: Police Simulator of NYPD City” has been available for $14.99 through the PlayStation Store, where it has an abysmal 1.63 out of 5 rating. The PS4 game encourages players to “step into the shoes of an NYPD officer and put your determination and professionalism to the test in diverse situations.”

Sony first made "Cop Officers: Police Simulator of NYPD City" available to gamers last month. image shows uniformed officer in a hat and dark sunglasses standing with his hands on his belt, in front of a cop car with its lights on out on the street with the words "cop officers: police simulator of nypd city become a defender of law and order!" along with different icons denoting "trophies" and "friends who play"
Sony first made “Cop Officers: Police Simulator of NYPD City” available to gamers last month. Obtained by The New York Post

However, the game infringes on New York City’s long-held trademark on “NYPD,” as well as Los Angeles’ city seal and the LAPD’s famous “To Protect and to Serve” slogan, both trademarked, officials in both cities said.

A City Hall spokesperson told The Post, “We are looking into the matter.”

A Los Angeles spokesman said the city’s attorneys would likely respond with cease-and-desist letters to Sony.

The game’s developer and publisher, Pakistan-based GameToTop Corporation LTD, could not be reached for comment.

Players can patrol the pixelated streets and write tickets for illegally parked cars. image from the game shows an officer character from behind, standing in front of a yellow taxi that appears to be empty, out on the street in front of a chain link fence
Players can patrol the pixelated streets and write tickets for illegally parked cars. Obtained by The New York Post
After they're arrested, crooks follow your character back to the police station.
After they’re arrested, crooks follow your character back to the police station for booking. Obtained by The New York Post

To start off the game, players pick their own police officer character, including an obese cop option.

You’re then sent out into onto the streets to stop-and-frisk pedestrians, write parking tickets, and bust brazen lawbreakers, who, once handcuffed, willfully follow you back to the police station for booking. Your cop character can even go out on patrol using a Segway.

Inside the police station, the LAPD slogan actually appears inside virtual frames hung on the pixelated walls. Gameplay unfolds within the confines of an open, generic cityscape that resembles neither New York or Los Angeles.

A general, close up view of an NYPD arm patch as seen on the shoulder of an officer's uniform during an event in the Bronx in 2016.
A police simulation video game recently-released for Sony’s PlayStation console violates trademarks owned by the cities of New York and Los Angeles, according to reports. Christopher Sadowski

The game is sloppily designed, with tenth-rate graphics and counterintuitive controls. “Cop Officers: Police Simulator of NYPD City” also boasts some of the shoddiest gameplay imaginable.

The city has had to respond to trademark violations before.

After 9/11, FDNY and NYPD merchandise started flooding the grey market, and the city had to pursue legal action to protect its trademarks.

In 2002, a man was arrested for continuing to sell NYPD badges on eBay, even after the city warned him not to.