Microsoft was sued again this week. Game developer Mythic Entertainment has accused the Beast of Redmond of infringing its trademark and engaging in unfair competition.

This past Friday Mythic filed a complaint with the US District Court for Eastern Virginia. It claims that Microsoft's up-coming online multiplayer role-playing game Mythica infringes on its name and trademark. Mythic itself specialises in... er... online multiplayer game.

Given Microsoft's sensitivity to brand names that come close to its own - Lindows most obviously, for which it is sueing the company behind that Linux distro - we're surprised it could make such a gaffe.

However it managed it, it's going to have to pay up, if Mythic gets its way. The games company wants a permanent injunction against Microsoft banning it from using the Mythica name - and it wants unspecified financial damages and legal fees.

Mythic claims it asked Microsoft to change the name of the game, but Microsoft refused. Obviously that 'a' makes all the difference, as the 'l' in Lindows so clearly doesn't. ®