Zynga taking on Bang With Friends for trademark infringement

Bang with Friends, the Facebook app that aids in casual hookups hasn’t exactly had an easy time of it since launching. In May, it was banned from the Apple App Store and now embattled social gaming company Zynga is taking it on for trademark infringement.

Bloomberg reports that Zynga has filed a complaint suggesting that Bang With Friends selected its name with “Zynga’s game trademarks fully in mind,” and that its name contravenes the company’s trademark, covering titles including “Words With Friends” and “Chess With Friends”.

If a ruling went Zynga’s way, it would see Bang With Friends prevented from using its current name in relation to any social networking apps in the US and would also see it having to pay unspecified damages to Zynga.

Bang With Friends has yet to respond to the allegations, but we can’t imagine that it will back down quickly.

After all, it’s currently contesting its removal from the App Store and, as our interview with founder Colin Hodge shows, it’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers.

Its fortunes, with upwards of 1.1-million users, also appear to still be on the up, while Zynga’s are going very much the other way. In June, the company was forced to slash 18% of its staff as it continues to battle to adapt to mobile gaming.