Ubisoft has temporarily lost the trademark for Watch Dogs as someone pretending to be CEO Yves Guillemot requested the "express abandonment" for the name.

A request to leave the name was first spotted by NeoGAF member Rosti. The trademark would have covered not only the upcoming game, but toys, TV shows, and other merchandise.

However, Ubisoft told GameSpot that "we are working directly with the USPTO on reinstating the trademark," adding that "the matter has no impact on the Watch Dogs' development." According to a new document filed with the USPTO, the original request was "fraudulent," with Yves Guillemot's signature forged.

Oddly, this story fits in quite nicely with the theme of Watch Dogs, which has players hacking into a networked computer system. While not quite a "hack," clearly this prankster is having fun playing with the establishment.