Copyright Infringement
Ongoing coverage on Copyright Infringement.
Latest coverage
Dungeon crawler Dark and Darker wins partial legal battle over Nexon, allowed to stay online
Dungeon crawler Dark and Darker has won a partial legal victory against Nexon, with the Korean supreme court ruling there was no copyright infringement related to Nexon's Project P3. This decision allows Dark and Darker to remain online and continue development, though its developer Ironmace still faces a continuing criminal case over alleged data transmission. While Ironmace had to pay for trade secret violations, the court's ruling provides legal certainty for the game's future.
South Korean Supreme Court orders Dark and Darker dev Ironmace to pay $3.84 million to Nexon
South Korean developer Ironmace has been ordered by the Supreme Court to pay Nexon 5.7 billion won ($3.84 million) in damages related to a civil case concerning alleged trade secret theft. While the civil case has concluded, a related criminal case regarding copyright and stolen trade secrets remains ongoing. The dispute stems from allegations that Ironmace's founding members, former Nexon employees, used proprietary information to develop the popular extraction game Dark and Darker.
Morning Legal Briefs
The game Dark and Darker has survived a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Nexon in the Korean legal system. This ruling allows the game to continue its development.
After shaking off Nexon’s copyright infringement accusations, Dark and Darker survives the Korean legal system and will continue development
The Supreme Court of South Korea has rejected Nexon's copyright infringement allegations against Ironmace, allowing Dark and Darker to continue development. While Ironmace was ordered to pay 5.7 billion Korean Won for trade secret violations, this was a reduction from a previous ruling, and they received a partial refund. A criminal case between the two parties is still ongoing.
Dark and Darker Dev Must Pay Nexon $4.3 Million After Korea Supreme Court Ruling | HappyGamer
South Korea's Supreme Court has ruled that IronMace, the developer of Dark and Darker, must pay Nexon approximately $4.3 million for trade secret infringement. While the court rejected Nexon's copyright infringement claims, the ruling on trade secrets stems from allegations that former Nexon employees took confidential information when forming IronMace. This verdict concludes a lengthy legal battle and sets a precedent for intellectual property disputes in the gaming industry.
"I Can't Fight This" - Popular Pokémon YouTube Channel Is No More After Nintendo's Copyright Strikes
A popular Pokémon YouTube channel, PokéNational Geographic, has been shut down by Nintendo due to copyright strikes. The channel creator, Elious, received four notices for animated videos that allegedly used Nintendo's copyrighted content, leading to the channel's removal under YouTube's three-strike policy. Elious plans to continue creating animations on an alternative channel, but they will no longer be Pokémon-related.
Singapore police arrest alleged The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender leaker
Singapore police have arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly leaking Paramount's upcoming film, "The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender." The suspect is accused of remotely accessing a server, downloading the movie, and posting parts of it online. The film, part of the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" franchise, is set to debut on Paramount+ later this year.
Another World Of Warcraft Private Server Is Going Dark
The World of Warcraft private server Stormforge has announced its shutdown following a cease and desist request from Blizzard Entertainment. This follows a similar shutdown of the Turtle WoW server, which was involved in a copyright infringement lawsuit with Blizzard. The shutdowns have led to speculation about potential new announcements regarding World of Warcraft Classic at BlizzCon.
Blizzard Shuts Down Popular WoW Private Server Stormforge
Blizzard Entertainment has shut down the popular World of Warcraft private server Stormforge following legal action. The server operators announced the closure after receiving a Cease and Desist request, noting 'positive discussions' with Blizzard's legal team. This action is part of Blizzard's broader effort to protect its intellectual property and maintain control over its game's ecosystem.
Turtle WoW classic server announces shutdown after Blizzard wins injunction
The popular World of Warcraft private server, Turtle WoW, has announced its complete shutdown following a legal battle with Blizzard Entertainment. A judge ruled in Blizzard's favor regarding copyright infringement, leading to a settlement that required the closure of the project after an 8-year run. Developer Torta expressed gratitude for the community's support.
World of Warcraft rogue server TurtleWoW has announced its sunset following court agreement
The World of Warcraft rogue server TurtleWoW has announced it will shut down on May 14th, following a court agreement with Blizzard Entertainment. Donations have ceased, and the server's website and social media will be taken offline in October. This action aligns with the cease and desist order issued against the server operators.
White House Tweets Criticized
Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, criticized the White House for using footage from Nintendo's Wii Sports without authorization in a social media post. The incident highlights concerns over intellectual property usage in political messaging.
White House uses Wii Sports to promote Iran War and Japan is not happy
The White House has faced criticism, including from Japan's Foreign Minister, for using copyrighted video game footage, specifically from Wii Sports, in propaganda videos promoting military operations. Nintendo has remained silent, though other companies like Microsoft have also seen their games used in similar contexts without comment. The article also touches on politicians using video game metaphors in public addresses.
Anna's Archive told to pay Spotify and record labels $322 million over unprecedented music scraping
Anna's Archive, an open-source library and search engine, has been ordered by a New York federal judge to pay $322 million in damages to Spotify and three major record labels for illegally scraping and intending to distribute millions of songs. The court found Anna's Archive guilty of direct copyright infringement and breach of contract, ordering the destruction of all scraped music files.
Temu-tier Palworld imitator Pickmon changes a single title letter 'to better align with our brand identity' and definitely not for any other reason, guys, honest
The creature-collecting survival game Pickmon, developed by NetworkGo, has been renamed Pickmos after changing a single letter in its title. The publisher claims the change is to better align with its brand identity and lore, though the move comes amid scrutiny for its visual similarities to existing games like Pokémon and Palworld, and potential legal concerns from Nintendo.
World of Warcraft rogue server TurtleWoW agrees to end operations in court settlement
Blizzard Entertainment has reached a court settlement with the operators of the World of Warcraft rogue server TurtleWoW, mandating the immediate and permanent cessation of all operations. The agreement follows a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Blizzard last year. While Blizzard may pursue damages, the operators are legally bound to shut down the server, despite ongoing discussions among players about its future.
Popular World Of Warcraft Private Server Turtle WoW Ordered To Cease And Desist
Blizzard Entertainment has successfully obtained a cease and desist order against the popular World of Warcraft private server, Turtle WoW, following a legal battle over copyright infringement. The settlement, reached after a judge ruled in Blizzard's favor, mandates the immediate and permanent cessation of the private server's operation and distribution. While the settlement details are confidential, Blizzard plans to file for dismissal of the case by June 2026.
Fan World of Warcraft servers face shut down as Blizzard wins Turtle WoW case
Activision Blizzard has won a copyright infringement lawsuit against the fan-operated private server network Turtle WoW. The District Court of California ruled in favor of Blizzard, ordering an immediate cease and desist for Turtle WoW and any successor projects. While a settlement has been reached, the ruling effectively signals the end for the third-party server group.
Evening Legal Briefs
The Supreme Court of the United States has overturned a ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The original ruling had instructed Internet Service Providers to disconnect customers found to be engaging in piracy. Ars Technica reported on the decision.
Italian television channel does DLSS 5 haters a favor by broadcasting footage from reveal trailer, then copyright…
Italian television channel La7 issued a copyright strike against Nvidia's DLSS 5 reveal trailer, claiming ownership of the content despite the trailer being released weeks prior. The footage was temporarily unavailable in Italy due to the claim, highlighting potential abuses of YouTube's Content ID system. The claim was later released, and the trailer is now viewable again.
