Sony Computer Entertainment of America filed an application in October for the trademarking of the phrase "Let's Play." Discovered by a NeoGAF user, the filing aims to claim the phrase when regarding "electronic transmission and streaming of video games via global and local computer networks."

Let's Play videos have an extensive history on the Internet, dating back to pre-YouTube days. And as Engadget reports, the phrase has "a lot of common use history." It's a phrase that was popularized by the gaming community, and Sony apparently wants to capitalize on that.


Some speculate that the company just wants to use Let's Plays as part of its PlayStation 4 streaming service. The trademark attempt is a way to prevent other companies from using it, and they've probably got no intention of taking it away from players.

Others say that the trademark won't actually come to fruition. As the filing shows, a Non-Final Action was submitted against the trademark—and those are a sign that there's a problem with the request, perhaps that it was just too common a term.