NCSOFT's lawsuit against WEBZEN concerning a copyright infringement has reached a definitive claim, amounting to 60 billion won.
NC filed a request to change the claim's purpose and basis on the 6th, during the ongoing lawsuit for a copyright infringement against WEBZEN, thereby finalizing the claim amount.
In June 2021, NC initiated a legal dispute by filing a copyright lawsuit against WEBZEN, claiming that WEBZEN’s mobile MMORPG “R2M” had imitated content and the system of NC’s mobile MMORPG “Lineage M.” They were initially seeking 1.1 billion won in damages.
After a series of trials and changes in the judiciary, a preliminary conclusion was reached in 2023, resulting in a victory for NC. In August last year, the Seoul Central District Court's 61st Civil Division ruled in favor of NC. However, the court acknowledged that the claims were related to a violation of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act, not a copyright infringement.
At that time, the court ordered WEBZEN to pay NC 1 billion won and 12% annual interest that had accrued since June 2021, while prohibiting the provision, reproduction, distribution, and transmission of the game and its advertisement of “R2M.” Faced with the immediate threat of its service discontinuation, WEBZEN then filed a preliminary injunction to suspend the effect of the service prohibition, which was accepted, allowing the service to continue to the present date.
NC had previously announced its intention to appeal the decision, stating that at the first trial they had only claimed a portion of the damages incurred. The company expressed their intention to expand the scope of the claim through an appeal. Indeed, a month after the decision, in September 2023, NC filed an appeal with the Seoul High Court, and at the first preliminary hearing in May the opposing arguments from both companies were presented.
On the 6th, NC finalized and communicated the claim amount of 60 billion won to WEBZEN. This amount represents the total damages NC claims to have suffered due to the copyright infringement by “R2M.”
Of the total amount, the 1 billion won mentioned in the first trial is to be paid the day after the delivery of the complaint, with the remaining 59 billion won and 12% annual interest also demanded. Additionally, a cessation of the “R2M” services and advertising was requested. These demands are expected to be reflected, depending on the outcome of the second trial.
WEBZEN has responded that it "plans to respond according to the legal procedures, in consultation with its legal representatives." The second hearing for both parties is scheduled for the 12th, when arguments over this claim amount are anticipated.
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김태만 기자 ktman21c@gamevu.co.kr
