Ikea is suing an indie developer because gamers keep comparing it to Ikea

Ikea lawyers have sent a cease-and-desist letter to the one-person studio creating a horror game set inside a furniture store. According to the legal letter, The Store is Closed infringes on Ikea's branding and is committing trademark infringement. It all seems to be due to press outlets and gamers comparing the game to Ikea.

The cease-and-desist letter explains the following elements are apparently infringing on the Ikea trademark:

• A Blue and yellow sign with a Scandinavian name on the store

• Blue box-like building

• Yellow vertical striped shirts that look identical to those worn by IKEA personnel

• A grey path on the floor

• Furniture that looks like IKEA furniture

• Product signage that looks like IKEA signage

According to the legal letter, the above things suggest that the game “takes place in an IKEA store” which is why gamers and the media are associating The Store is Closed with Ikea. Developer Jacob Shaw spoke with Kotaku about this and revealed the “Furniture that looks like IKEA furniture” was taken from several “generic furniture asset packs” that any developer could purchase and use.

Ikea has only given Shaw “ten working days from the date of this letter” to make all the demanded changes despite the game not being released yet. The Store is Closed and won't be on sale until 2024 at least and the letter was received while the Kickstarter was still active .