Trademark application sparks excitement over SEGA re-entry into console market.

SEGA Corporation has filed a new application to protect the trademark Dreamcast - sparking rumours that the Japanese publisher is planning on making a shock return to the console manufacturing market with the Dreamcast 2.

The application, sent to the United States Patent and Trademark Office' s Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval (TARR) dated August 13 2007, relates to:

" Home video game machines; player-operated electronic controllers for electronic video game machines; video game interactive controller, namely, hand held pads, and floor pads or mats; joysticks for video games; computer cursor control devices, namely, computer mouse; flash memory cards; video game software, computer game programs" .

Web chatter suggests the proof is in the detail of the application - the original Dreamcast didn' t have a floor mat accessory and the Dreamcast' s Visual Memory Unit (VMU) is far from the flash memory cards we know and use today - although we' d say that the VMU is pretty similar to the modern day memory cards.

The filing could, of course, simply be a further effort from SEGA to protect the Dreamcast name. According to the USPTO the original Dreamcast trademark is still active. However, the two descriptions are very different. You can see the original trademark description here.

We' ve contacted SEGA UK for comment. We' ll update you on this potentially megaton story as we get it.