Videogame publisher files countersuit against patent holder

Activision, the maker of the popular videogame franchises World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, has found itself embroiled in a legal battle with a company that specializes in software for 3D games.

Last year, Worlds Inc. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Activision, in which it claimed that these two games violated a number of patents that cover "computer architecture for three-dimensional graphical multi-user interactive virtual world systems." Worlds Inc. says that its technology has been used in a number of games as the industry has grown.

"Worlds has been a key player in developing the technologies and methods relating to interaction in virtual space that have shaped the industry and enabled today's virtual worlds gaming environments to be so interactive and realistic," Worlds Inc. CEO Thom Kidrin said in a recent press release.

In response, Activision turned around and filed its own patent infringement lawsuit against Worlds Inc.

The claim, according to Polygon, focused on two patents. One is for "navigation with optimum viewpoints in three-dimensional workspace interactive displays having three-dimensional objects with collision barriers." Another is for "climbability: property for objects in 3D virtual environments." 

It is unclear which company will come out on top after this dispute, as the first lawsuit is still pending in U.S. District Court.

Both are broad claims, and the results may impact the videogame industry as a whole if these cases end up going to trial. This is why companies in similar situations should work with a Phoenix business attorney who has the experience to handle such matters.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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