A long awaited development in UK civil procedure is due to make low value IP infringement claims quicker and cheaper. It is called the small claims track, it will be open for IP infringement cases worth less than £5,000 and it will be heard by the specialist Patents County Court. My friend Rosie Burbidge, a… Continue reading Small UK IP lawsuits get quicker and cheaper (in theory)
Tag: litigation
The Scrolls lawsuit: Mojang 1, Bethesda 0?
Bethesda has failed in an attempt to obtain an interim injunction against Mojang over its use of thephrase ‘Scrolls’ in its forthcoming eponymous game (via Gamesindustry.biz and tweets from Notch). But previous lawsuit experience from Bethesda suggests the battle *may* not be over…
Trademark Troubles: Bethesda v Mojang
Indie developer Mojang Specifications has been threatened with legal action by Bethesda over the forthcoming Mojang game Scrolls, according to Mojang head Notch. This is another great example of the importance of understanding how trademarks work in the games industry- and this is a post to explain why.
Langdell Squared: Edge magazine v Tim Langdell
This is a guest post by Jonny Mayner. Jonny Mayner spent most of his 20’s playing games and working in bookshops and the construction industry before getting down to the serious business of being a lawyer. He is currently a trainee solicitor at Osborne Clarke, soon to qualify and join the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation… Continue reading Langdell Squared: Edge magazine v Tim Langdell
The US violent games case: Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus
Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v EMA, AKA the Californian ‘violent’ games law case, AKA Arnie vs all gamers, everywhere. The law, if upheld, would have given lawmakers the ability to ban certain games and place stringent requirements on others. However, the US Supreme Court struck down the… Continue reading The US violent games case: Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus
Atari sues Tommo for $30m over Flashback 2 console
This is interesting: Atari is suing Tommo Video Games Distribution in the US in a $30 million claim over the Atari Flashback 2, according to Kidscreen. Details are very sparse at the moment but the allegation seems to be that Tommo is selling or distributing a counterfeit version of Atari’s Flashback 2 console, which I understand… Continue reading Atari sues Tommo for $30m over Flashback 2 console
The second virtual goods crime: is Runescape theft, theft?
The Dutch Supreme Court will be invited later this year to conclude that the theft of virtual goods from Runescape constitutes theft under Dutch criminal law; indications to date suggest that it may conclude that theft of virtual currency/goods IS criminal theft. To my knowledge, this is only the second time that a Western court has… Continue reading The second virtual goods crime: is Runescape theft, theft?
More on Lodsys, apps and software patents
More interesting developments in the Lodsys/app developers spat (more on that here): now Apple has got involved. Yesterday, Apple wrote to Lodsys asking it to withdrew its threats against a number of iOS app developers. You can read the full letter here. Apple’s arguments were three-fold: (1) The patent licences which Lodsys has granted Apple… Continue reading More on Lodsys, apps and software patents
Apple v Amazon over the ‘App Store’
Last week news broke that Apple is taking legal action against Amazon over the latter’s forthcoming opening of its “Appstore for Android“. Apple argued it constituted trade mark infringement of its well known iOS “App Store“. I spoke with Pocketgamer.biz about what all this means – here’s the article reproduced below: “Apple’s move to block Amazon’s… Continue reading Apple v Amazon over the ‘App Store’
LG vs Sony: court battle over PS3 seizures due tomorrow
UPDATE: Sony was able to lift apparently all restrictions against it and LG was ordered to pay it substantial damages. More here. Sony and LG are set to go to court in Holland tomorrow over a court order apparently obtained last week by LG for the seizure of reportedly tens of thousands of PlayStation 3s. This… Continue reading LG vs Sony: court battle over PS3 seizures due tomorrow