The New York Times is legally challenging a geography-based spinoff of its Wordle game called Worldle.
It acquired Wordle for a seven-figure sum in 2022, and is accusing Worldle of "creating confusion" and attempting to capitalise on "the enormous goodwill" associated with its brand.
Kory McDonald, creator of Worldle and a software developer based in Seattle, vowed to fight back, arguing there are numerous games with similar titles.
He told the BBC: “There's a whole industry of (dot)LE games. Wordle is about words, Worldle is about the world, Flaggle is about flags.”
The New York Times disagrees, asserting in its legal document Worldle is “nearly identical in appearance, sound, meaning, and imparts the same commercial impression to… Wordle”.
British inventor Josh Wardle developed Wordle in 2021 as a side project to entertain his girlfriend.
The game has since exploded in popularity, reaching millions worldwide.
In contrast, Kory’s Worldle attracts around 100,000 players monthly.
Unlike Wordle, Worldle is only available via web browser and includes ads, with an ad-free option for $13 per year.
Kory noted most of the revenue goes to Google due to the use of Google Street View images, which players must identify.
He added: “It's pretty humbling to think that so many people play every month. I didn't expect it to have this sort of success at all.”
Worldle is not the only game inspired by Wordle’s success.
Similar games include Quordle, a set of four words to guess simultaneously; Nerdle, a math-based challenge; Heardle, which involves identifying music; and another game called Worldle, focusing on identifying countries by their outlines.
The New York Times has not disclosed whether it plans to pursue legal action against these other games.
Speaking to the BBC last year, Jonathan Knight, head of games at the Times, said imitation was “the best form of flattery”.
He added: “We've always been fine with (similar games) and think that they just help keep the game fresh and alive for people.”
This is not the first time the Times has turned to the courts to protect Wordle.
In March 2024, a Shetland dialect version of Wordle shut down following a copyright challenge from the publishing group.
Professor David Levine, a copyright expert at Elon University School of Law, suggested Kory’s project might also face difficulties.
He noted the one-letter difference between the two names could lead to consumer confusion, telling the BBC: “You've got the pronunciation. I mean, I have to make an effort here to say Wordle versus Worldle.”
Kory expressed disappointment at the legal action but remained undaunted, adding: “I'm just a one-man operation here, so I was kinda surprised.
“Worst-case scenario, we'll change the name, but I think we'll be okay.”
