Remember the classic IDKFA DOOM cheat code? Bethesda just trademarked it

The classic IDKFA cheat code used by DOOM players to unlock all the doors, and get all the possible weapons, has now been trademarked by Bethesda, earlier this month. The news of it was spotted by Xbox enthusiast @klobrille, and there is even a trademark document attached to it, which you can check out here.

Bethesda has filed the trademark document for the IDKFA cheat code both in the US region, and the international region, as well, under different categories on January 9, 2024.

In the US, for instance, the classic cheat code is filled under these codes: 021, 038, 026, 023, 036, while having 009 as the primary code. What does this mean? Well, it means the gaming company will have rights over the cheat code in different areas, ranging from computer games to entertaining services, as you can see below:

Recorded computer game software; downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices; downloadable computer game software for personal computers and home video game consoles; downloadable computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones and handheld computers; downloadable electronic publications in the nature of magazines and newsletters in the field of video games; records, discs, tapes, cassettes, cartridges, cards and other carriers bearing or for use in bearing sound recordings, video recordings, data, images, games, graphics, text, programs or information; vinyl records; downloadable audio recordings featuring music.
Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line computer games; entertainment services, namely, providing temporary use of non-downloadable computer games; production of music; entertainment services in the nature of recording, production and post-production services in the field of music; entertainment services, namely, providing non-downloadable prerecorded music via a website; provision of information relating to electronic computer games, television programs and movies provided via the internet; non-downloadable electronic publications in the nature of magazines, newsletters, and blogs in the field of video games, television programs and movies; production, provision and distribution of television programs and movies; providing non-downloadable television programs and movies via the internet and video-on-demand transmission services.

IDKFA – Trademark Details

In the international region, the IDKFA cheat code will follow the 009 International class code, which means Bethesda will have rights over it on fields such as:

Scientific, nautical, surveying, electric, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signalling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; automatic vending machines and mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment and computers; fire-extinguishing apparatus. – Scientific, nautical, surveying, electric, photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring, signalling, checking (supervision), life-saving and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; automatic vending machines and mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating machines, data processing equipment and computers; fire-extinguishing apparatus.

IDKFA – Trademark Details

But the cheat code is also trademarked with the 041 International class code, which gives Bethesda rights over the use of it in fields such as:

Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities. – Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities.

IDKFA – Trademark Details

The class codes you see above are the fields Bethesda has the rights over the name of the cheat code. So, if someone decides to use the name of the code within the context of those fields, the game company has all the legal rights to sue those who do that.

On the other hand, the trademark could mean many things: Is Bethesda bringing the good old DOOM cheats back to the game? Is a remake of the original game coming soon? While we don’t want to speculate anything, this is the most likely scenario.

Meanwhile, IDKFA®, anyone?