Trademarks & Branding
In Real Steel (2011), robots like Noisy Boy, Twin Towers, and Zeus are heavily branded. This can be compared to the WWE or UFC, where professional fighters are controlled and marketed to support the organization. Noisy Boy's signature name, vibrant colors, custom-designed body, and signature moves make it distinct to the World Robot Boxing League (WRB). When Charlie purchased Noisy Boy, he not only bought the robot but gained rights to use its name and other features. This is similar to trademarks, where a name such as Noisy Boy, can be legally protected. According to 4.3.2 Trademarks and Service Marks in Michael Quinn's Ethics for the Information Age, "a trademark is a word, symbol, picture, sound, or color used by a business to identify goods" [2]. Despite fighting in WRB and marketing Noisy Boy's highly identifiable and marketable likeness, Charlie easily purchased rights to all of it.
Other robots, such as Zeus and Twin Cities, also have extremely distinct names, looks, and fighting styles used to establish their brand identities.
Trade Secrets
Zeus, the undefeated robot owned by Farra Lemkova and created by Tak Mashido, is a prime example of a company's success stemming from a closely guarded trade secret. This trade secret is Zeus' "adaptive operating system that recognizes patterns and rewrites his fight code instantaneously" [1]. This algorithm. solely developed by Tak Mashido, allows Zeus to immediately adapt to any opponent, resulting in his undefeated record. According to 4.3.1 Trade Secrets, a trade secret is defined as "a confidential piece of intellectual property that provides a company with a competitive advantage" [2]. This perfectly describes Lemkova and Mashido's domination in WRB and the unparalleled competitive advantage Zeus has over the sport.
Much like the Coca-Cola formula, which has been kept confidential for over a century, Mashido's learning algorithm will never be revealed. It is a company's right to protect their trade secrets. For example, Coca-Cola divides the production of its formula among different groups of employees to ensure nobody learns the entire formula. Similarly, the secrecy regarding Zeus' development ensures that other companies or teams can replicate his learning model, allowing Zeus to maintain his competitive advantage. [2]
Additionally, Lemkova takes further actions to safeguard Zeus' secret. In the movie, we can see Zeus surrounded by security guards [3]. We also see Mashido avoiding sharing any detailed information regarding Zeus' development, suggesting that Zeus' team operates under confidentiality [1]. As said in the chapter, "In order to maintain its rights to a trade secret, a company must take active measures to keep it from being discovered. For example, companies typically require employees with access to a trade secret to execute a confidentiality agreement" [2]. By keeping Mashido under contract, any potential leaks are locked up, and Zeus' unique advantage is maintained.
References:
Levy, S. (2011). Real Steel. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. (54:25)
Michael Quinn, Ethics For The Information Age. 8th ed. Pearson, 2020
Levy, S. (2011). Real Steel. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. (53:40)
Levy, S. (2011). Real Steel. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. (22:23)