Items tagged with Lawsuit
Many argue that there is no such thing as completely original art, but there is certainly a difference between similar inspiration and outright plagiarism. Activision, Infinity Ward, and Major League Gaming Corp. are currently facing a copyright infringement lawsuit over this issue. The lawsuit argues that the character of “Mara” in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is an exact copy of another existing character. The lawsuit has been filed Clayton Haugen of North Carolina. He hired cosplayer and Twitch streamer Alex Zedra in 2017 to portray his character “Cade Janus” in several of photographs. Cade Janus is an important character in Haugen’s work November Renaissance...
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Valve has recently been in some hot water as the EU’s European Commission slapped the games company with a $1.9 million fine over “geo-blocking.” Now, some gamers are suing Valve in California over anti-competitive clauses in developer agreements. Valve and multiple other developers have been named defendants, alleging that the companies entered a competition-stifling contract with a “most favored nations” (MFN) clause. In this case, the MFN clause is an agreement where game developers arrive at a specific price of a game on the Steam platform, and then that price will remain the same on all other platforms. As the suit explains, “Because of this Most Favored...
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It's not often that the "little guy" wins out in a court battle against a tech behemoth like Apple, but the little guy definitely won the first round in a copyright battle this week. Corellium LLC was primarily accused by Apple of replicating or stealing iOS, but a federal judge tossed the case due to fair use laws. Security research and vulnerability tracking can be a tricky task, especially when working with iOS products. Generally, one would have to have an Apple product in hand to test it, but Corellium created “virtual” iOS devices by emulating iOS, which runs on iPhone and iPad devices. Apple seemingly disliked the effort, claiming that the emulation was just for running unauthorized...
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CD Projekt Red (CDPR) is in hot water. The company has been working for the past 8 years on Cyberpunk 2077, only to release the game loaded with bugs, performance issues across all platforms, and graphics that were woefully inadequate on previous generation consoles. Besides drawing the ire of gamers who've had to put up with the shortcomings of the game at release, CDPR is also contending with flak from its investors (not to mention, an influx of refunds). CDPR is now facing multiple class action lawsuits, with one of them being brought forth on behalf of investor Andrew Trampe by the Rosen Law Firm [PDF]. It's alleged that CDPR executives willfully neglected to inform investors of...
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Facebook has long been suspected of anti-competitive practices. Forty-eight states and territories and the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have now filed twin lawsuits against Facebook to address this issue. Facebook has responded to these lawsuits by stating that it is ready to fight against what it views as an injustice. What are the lawsuits about? The lawsuits accuse Facebook of monopolistic practices, especially through what they refer to as a “buy-or-bury strategy.” They contend that Facebook prefers to purchase platforms it perceives as a direct threat. Platforms that refused to sell would be subject to the “wrath of Mark” which would further discourage...
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Today, the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Google in what is the largest tech antitrust case since Microsoft came under fire two decades ago. The lawsuit claims that Google has “stifled competition” with its online search and advertisement businesses, arguably the most significant parts of Google as a whole. Eleven states have backed the lawsuit as outcry (and support) for the lawsuit floods Twitter from various sources. Previously, we reported on the Department of Justice (DoJ) lawsuit against Google has been expected from the Trump administration. According to the Department of Justice, "Google is the monopoly gatekeeper to the internet for billions...
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Epic Games and Apple will be facing off in court a little earlier than expected. The trial date for Epic Games vs. Apple is now set for May 3rd, 2021, at 8:30am PT as to avoid conflicts with a backlog of other trials. In the meantime, there are other pretrial due dates for both companies to submit information. The Epic Games debacle with Apple has been dragging on for a while; it seems. In August, Apple kicked Fortnite out of the App Store for violating its long-standing policies, sparking the current situation. This escalated into the lawsuit described, and the court is finally setting up schedules. From March through April 2021, hearings and submissions will occur in preparation for the...
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Earlier this month, a U.S. Appeals Court ruled in favor of Qualcomm following an FTC antitrust lawsuit. Qualcomm was cleared after "no evidence" of anticompetitive behavior was found, and the company's $5 billion a year licensing business was left unscathed. Now, car and tech companies are up in arms, requesting that the FTC not back down yet. In 2017, the FTC brought up a lawsuit against Qualcomm alleging antitrust law violations and anti-competitive behavior. Initially, the ruling was against Qualcomm, whereby they would have to renegotiate patent licensing agreements with the companies to which they provided parts. The 9th circuit court with a panel of judges, however, reversed this decision...
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It has now been a little over a week since Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple and Google, and the former has since responded with its own legal filing this past week. Is this legal battle merely a dog fight between two large corporations? The dispute between Epic Games, Apple and Google could potentially permanently impact the nature of app stores. These consequences will hopefully overall benefit the consumer. Epic Games introduced its Epic Direct Payment system for mobile users last week. Epic Games allowed users to purchase V-Bucks and other items through Epic Direct Payment instead of the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. This system would help consumers benefit from Epic Games’...
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The bitter war between Apple and Epic Games has just entered a new phase. Epic has just revealed that Apple has given the company an ultimatum, which boils down to "get Fortnite in compliance" or face our ultimate wrath. In this case, Epic claims that if Fortnite doesn't shape up by August 28th, Apple will terminate all of its developers accounts and revoke access to both iOS and Mac development tools. Without access to the Apple Developer Program, Epic will no longer be able to distribute games through the iOS App Store or Mac App Store Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store and has informed Epic that on Friday, August 28 Apple will terminate all our developer accounts...
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Epic Games and Apple are about to legally duke it out. Epic Games just filed a lawsuit against Apple that claims that Apple’s App Store is anti-competitive. The lawsuit was quickly filed after Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store earlier today. Epic Games overall argues that Apple’s policies prevent innovation and directly harm consumers and developers. They state that Apple “...has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation.” Epic Games today introduced “Epic Direct Payment.” Mobile users who purchase V-Bucks or other items through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store would...
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Over the years, Apple has found itself in hot water over some of its business practices. One of the most significant problems Apple in recent memory was the so-called "throttlegate" or "batterygate" in 2017. Apple was caught slowing down the processor of iPhones with older batteries, leading many users to replace a device, thinking it was defective rather than replacing the cheaper battery. Apple agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit initially filed in 2017 on behalf of owners of impacted iPhone devices earlier this year, and affected users can now file for their share. The class-action lawsuit accused Apple of secretly throttling older iPhone models. Eligible iPhone owners are beginning to...
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Nintendo of America has filed a pair of lawsuits in the United States to shut down resellers that are selling Nintendo Switch mods allowing users to play pirated video games on the console. One of the lawsuits was filed against Tom Dilts Jr., who is believed to be behind a website called UberChips. The second lawsuit that Nintendo filed was against multiple unnamed defendants who operate multiple websites. From those websites, the defendants allegedly sell products from an anonymous group of hackers known as Team Xecutor. Nintendo's lawsuit says the defendants "unlawfully" design and manufacture an "unauthorized operating system" and "piracy tools" that allow gamers to bypass protections in place...
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Most people are very familiar with Google’s various services, especially their popular search engine. However, is Google using its ubiquity to intentionally hamper their competition? It was recently reported that the United States Department of Justice and a group of state attorneys general are likely planning to sue Google for violating antitrust laws. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently drafting a lawsuit and will likely file it this summer. Some state attorneys general plan to follow the DOJ’s lead this autumn. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently remarked, “We hope to have the investigation wrapped up by fall. If we determine...
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Zoom has seen its business boom and its stock price grow in recent months in large part due to the coronavirus outbreak and an increasing number of people working from home. Its video conferencing service was one of the many that schools and businesses adopted to keep operating during the shelter-in-place orders in effect around the country. Zoom has now been hit with a class-action lawsuit by shareholders alleging that the company failed to disclose issues with the privacy and security of the platform. The lawsuit was filed by investor Michael Drieu in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit alleges that concerns over security and privacy flaws in the...
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AM General is the company that produces the military vehicle known as the Humvee. The Humvee is an iconic military vehicle that has been used in film and many video games over the years. One of the video games that prominently features the Humvee is Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Activision was sued by AM General over alleged trademark infringement for using the Humvee in its games. This week a federal judge ruled in favor of Activision and the company's argument that it had a First Amendment right to depict contemporary warfare in its game by featuring the Humvee. The judge overseeing the case was US District Court Judge George B. Daniels granted summary judgment in favor of...
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The coronavirus/COVID-19 epidemic may have started in China, but it has spread to most of the world at this point. One of the hardest-hit countries in the world is Italy. Italian healthcare providers are fighting a company that is putting profit ahead of saving lives. A hospital in Brescia in northern Italy was in desperate need of special valves that are required in breathing equipment needed to keep COVID-19 patients in the ICU alive. The problem was the manufacturer was unable to provide the required valves because of increased demand. Knowing that being unable to secure the parts through normal channels meant people could die, doctors and tech experts in the city set about looking for a 3D...
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Video game publisher Ubisoft has filed a lawsuit in a California courtroom against an alleged distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack website. The lawsuit lists multiple people from around the globe as defendants. Ubisoft announced last year that it had a plan to stop players that utilized DDoS attacks during games. These attacks create lag in multiplayer matches and can cause server crashes. The game publisher claimed that it had seen a 93 percent drop in the frequency of attacks after sharing its plan to combat them. Ubisoft is now aiming to kill the source of the attacks by filing a lawsuit against the website called SNG.one. The website allegedly sells subscriptions for up to $299.85...
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Sonos has filed lawsuits against Google and accuses the search giant of copying its patented speaker technology and is using that "stolen" technology to undercut it on the open market. The two lawsuits cover five different patents it holds for the design of wireless speakers. Sonos is also seeking to have a sales ban placed on Google laptops, phones, and speakers in the U.S. under a separate complaint to the International Trade Commission (ITC). Sonos says that Google stole its technology after gaining access to what were essentially blueprints for Sonos devices in 2013. Sonos handed over that proprietary information under a partnership that would allow Google's music service to stream...
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Many argue that Apple has their finger on the pulse of technology trends. This claim may be more literal than originally anticipated. A cardiologist is currently suing Apple for stealing his Atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection technology and using it in Apple Watches. Dr. Joseph Wiesel is a cardiologist and clinical assistant professor at New York University’s School of Medicine. In 2006, Dr. Wiesel filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a method and apparatus for detecting atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeats. The patent states that the heartbeat is detected either through an inflatable cuff or “light transmitted through a body appendage, such...
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Epic Games, the creator of the incredibly popular game Fortnite, has had a former news anchor, Matthew Geiler, threaten to sue it and send a cease and desist over a dancing emote that was part of the Fortnitemares Halloween event. Geiler created a character called "Dancing Pumpkin Man" during his time on-air that shows him dancing in front of a generic graveyard scene in a black unitard wearing a pumpkin mask. Geiler says in the cease and desist letter that the company is using his character's likeness without permission and threatened to sue Epic Games. However, Epic has asked a New York Federal Judge to declare that the dancing pumpkin feature "Pump It Up" doesn't infringe on the copyright...
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Fortnite Chapter 2 was recently released and featured several changes and surprises for longtime fans. Epic Games teased the new chapter with a few trailers, but several trade secrets were also revealed by a leaker. Epic Games has decided to sue the former employee that leaked information about Fortnite Chapter 2. Epic Games has filed a civil lawsuit against former employee Ronald Sykes with the District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Sykes was a “User Experience” tester and was able to play Fortnite Chapter 2 before it was released to the public. Sykes tweeted on his main account that he had “played S11 and can tell you the new stuff”. He then proceeded...
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