Sony is suing Tencent for copyright and trademark infringement over upcoming game Light of Motiram, which is alleged to be a ‘slavish clone’ of Sony’s Horizon IP. In the lawsuit, detailed by Reuters and Deadline, Sony alleges the similarities between the games threaten to confuse buyers, with many distinctive elements shared between these games.
‘Tencent’s unlawful copying of the protected audiovisual elements of the Horizon games, as well as its deliberate adoption of a confusingly similar character mark, constitutes both copyright and trademark infringement that should be enjoined immediately to prevent irreparable harm to SIE and the consuming public,’ Sony said in its lawsuit.
‘The main protagonist of Horizon Zero Dawn is a striking figure named “Aloy” characterised by her fiery red hair, tribal-inspired attire, specific-coloured accessories, and distinctive facial markings; her journey from outcast to guardian of humanity anchors the game’s narrative and emotional core.’
‘Tencent also used its rip-off of the iconic Horizon main character “Aloy” as the centrepiece of its pre-release marketing and promotional strategy, deliberately causing numerous game lovers to confuse Light of Motiram as the next game in the Horizon series when encountering Tencent’s promotional game play videos and social media accounts.’
Sony allegedly declined to work with Tencent on a new Horizon game
Another twist in the lawsuit is that Sony allegedly declined an offer from Tencent to collaborate on a new Horizon game in 2024. It alleges that Tencent approached it with a pitch to develop its own Horizon game, and the idea was rejected. Sony ‘considered the matter closed.’
This denial was followed by the announcement of Light of Motiram, which Sony has alleged features gameplay, story themes, and visual elements that strongly resemble those of Horizon. When its marketing push began, Sony notes many journalists pointed out the similarities between the games, with some even calling it a ‘knock-off’ of Sony’s IP.
While the company allegedly tried to ‘informally resolve’ its concerns over Light of Motiram, per Sony, Tencent ‘signalled that it rejected Sony’s demands and would forge ahead.’ Given Light of Motiram remains on Steam and has received further marketing, it appears Tencent maintains confidence in its release.
To prevent this circumstance, Sony is taking definitive legal action. Per Deadline, it aims for ‘statutory damages of up to [USD] $150,000 for each separate work in the Horizon Franchise infringed’ by Light of Motiram, and also wants to ‘preliminarily and permanently’ prevent the game from releasing into the market.
At this stage, it’s unclear how this lawsuit will proceed, but we are likely to hear more shortly. Stay tuned for a more significant update, as Sony and Tencent initiate their claims.
Also on ScreenHub: itch.io has deindexed NSFW games due to pressure from payment providers
Games platform itch.io has confirmed it’s ‘deindexed’ all adult NSFW games from its browse and search pages, due to pressure from unnamed payment processors. The move follows similar action from Steam, which also recently delisted some NSFW games due to concerns about their content.
Per itch.io, the decision to pull games it had previously supported was not its own. Rather, weeks of pressure from organisation Collective Shout – which describes itself as ‘a grassroots movement against the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls’ – encouraged payment processors to remove support from platforms alleged to be hosting ‘rape, incest and child sexual abuse-themed games.’
The push reportedly began with a game titled No Mercy, which contained highly objectionable sexual content, and described itself as being a sim where players could become ‘every woman’s worst nightmare.’ Collective Shout began campaigning against itch.io due to this game, with concerns then sent to the company’s major payment processors.
