Legal Niches

Game Copyright Suit Highlights Difficulties of IP Protection in the Modern Age

By pete_gallagher

A copyright infringement lawsuit filed over a Flash game that appeared on Facebook outlines 'the slipperiness of enforcing intellectual property rights in a world where creating and dispersing infringing material to the public via social networking websites has become all too easy.'

After creating the Flash game Boomshine, Plaintiff Daniel Miller discovered a too similar, though differently named, game on Facebook entitled ChainRxn. Miller then filed suit, against developer Yao Wei Yeo (accused of direct infringement) and Facebook (accused of contributorily infringing). Miller alleged that ChainRxn incorporated the 'same look and feel' of Boomshine, in addition to featuring 'almost every visual element of the game.'

Unfortunately for Miller, Yeo could not be located in order to be served with a summons. Miller's original complaint charged both defendants with copyright infringement, but after the complaint was dismissed, Miller amended his complaint to carry the currently stated charges.
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Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on June 16, 2010 (boomark / email).