League of Legends Developer Battles It Out in Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
As reported by Eurogamer, Riot Games, the developer of MOBA League of Legends, a popular team-based video game, is suing Shanghai Moonton Technology Co. LTD (“Moonton”), the developer of a mobile version of the game, MOBA Mobile Legends. Riot Games claims that Moonton’s game is a “blatant cop[y]” of the original game.
In particular, Riot Games reportedly argues that the games’ gold-font logos, characters (including both champions and villains), and content (including certain weaponry) are extremely similar. They also note that Moonton has consistently copied Riot Games’ material over time, including its game updates, promotional materials, and a new trailer.
The lawsuit, filed by Riot’s parent company, Tencent, is seeking financial damages, as well as costs and any gains acquired by Moonton as a result of this infringement.
Authors: Caitlin Woodford and Taryn Wunder, 2022 Summer Student-at-law
Authors
Expertise
Insights
-
Intellectual Property Litigation
Rise of Trademark Phishing Scams
There has been a reported surge in trademark phishing scams. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (“CIPO”) issued a statement warning of an email phishing scam targeting members of the public by… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
The Return of the Honda Element?
A few recent patent applications reveal that the Honda Element may be making its return to the automotive industry: The first patent application is a “camper for a vehicle”. The second… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
"Worldle" Faces a Wordle Hurdle
Kory McDonald, the creator of “Worldle”, a geography-themed game, is advocating on behalf of all games ending in “-le”. Worldle shows a series of Google Street view images from which players… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
Not a “Success Kid”
Steve King, the former Iowa Republican Congressman, has reportedly lost his appeal attempting to overturn a copyright verdict for using the “Success Kid” meme in his 2020 campaign. The “Success… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
Alaska Airlines Not Soaring After Losing Appeal
Alaska Airlines (“Alaska”) recently lost an appeal over a trademark licensing agreement at the Court of Appeal in London, in a decision favoring Virgin Group. Alaska was ordered to pay approximately… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
X’s Lawsuit Regarding Data Scraping Dismissed
A federal judge in California reportedly dismissed a lawsuit for breach-of-contract and tort claims brought by Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, against Bright Data, in a case involving data…