Developer King has withdrawn its trademark application for the word "candy" in the US.

The developer firm behind Candy Crush Saga, Farm Heroes Saga and other games recently trademarked the word "candy" in Europe and submitted an application for approval in the US. King is even going after the word "saga". But documents filed with the US Trademark Office have revealed King will no longer pursue the controversial claim, according to Kotaku.

Update: King has released the following statement: "King has withdrawn its trademark application for Candy in the US, which we applied for in February before we acquired the early rights to Candy Crusher. Each market that King operates in is different with regard to IP. We feel that having the rights to Candy Crusher is the best option for protecting Candy Crush in the US."

READ: Candy Jam shows King how ludicrous it is to trademark common words like 'candy'

When King filed its trademark in the US, a website called Candy Jam rallied indie developers to release apps or games with "candy" featured in the title and gameplay. More than 100 games have since launched in protest at King. A few of the titles include The "Saga" Saga, Shew it Down: Candy Crap Saga, CanDieCanDieCanDie and ThisGameIsNotAboutCandy.

Despite the outcry among indie developers, King recently announced plans to go public on the New York Stock Exchange under the KING ticker. King subsequently revealed that Candy Crush Saga generated profits of $568 million on revenue of $1.88 billion in 2013, and that the game made up 78 per cent of the developer's revenue.

READ: Maker of hit mobile game 'Candy Crush Saga' files for IPO

It is worth noting that the "candy" US trademark application withdrawal does not affect King's European Union trademark for the word. In fact, in a statement released on Tuesday, King confirmed it would "continue to take all appropriate steps" to protect its intellectual property.