Sony and Tencent settle lawsuit over Horizon series clone
What's the story
Sony and Tencent have settled their legal dispute over the alleged cloning of Sony's popular Horizon series. The case was dismissed with prejudice after both companies reached a "confidential settlement," as per a court document filed on Wednesday. The lawsuit was filed in July by Sony, which accused Tencent of creating a game called Light of Motiram that closely resembled its Horizon series.
Game removal
Light of Motiram removed from online platforms
Following the settlement, Light of Motiram has been taken down from Steam and Epic Games Store. The game's official website still has links to these platforms, but a user on its subreddit pointed out that the game is no longer available. The removal comes after Sony's lawsuit accused Tencent of using a character similar to Horizon protagonist Aloy in its marketing strategy for Light of Motiram.
Legal allegations
Sony's lawsuit alleged copyright and trademark infringement
Sony's lawsuit claimed that Tencent's game unlawfully copied protected audiovisual elements from the Horizon series, and adopted a character mark that was confusingly similar. The company sought an immediate injunction against what it called "copyright and trademark infringement." "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," Sony said at the time.
Company statement
Tencent's response to the settlement
Sean Durkin, head of communications for Tencent Americas, confirmed the settlement in a statement to The Verge. "SIE and Tencent are pleased to have reached a confidential resolution and will have no further public comment on this matter," he said. "SIE and Tencent look forward to working together in the future," Durkin added.