The Activision Blizzard has been ordered to pay a hefty sum of $23.4 million for patent infringement in a recent legal battle against Acceleration Bay, as reported by Insider Gaming. After nearly a decade of legal disputes, a jury delivered the verdict on May 3, holding Activision responsible for violating two patents held by Acceleration Bay related to network and transmission technology used in the multiplayer features of several Activision games.
The jury’s decision awarded $18 million for infringement in the popular online game World of Warcraft and an additional $5.4 million for infringement in two titles from the Call of Duty franchise. The deliberation process involved determining if Acceleration Bay had provided sufficient evidence of Activision’s patent infringement and calculating a fair compensation amount.
In response to the verdict, Activision expressed disappointment to Insider Gaming and announced its intention to appeal the decision. A company spokesperson emphasized their stance, stating that they had never used the patented technologies in question in their games. Prior to the lawsuit, Activision had dismissed the allegations as unfounded, citing the age of the patents and claiming that the technology was invented nearly 25 years ago and was not integrated into their games.
Acceleration Bay, the plaintiff in the case against Activision, is currently pursuing similar patent infringement lawsuits against other video game giants such as Take-Two Interactive and Electronic Arts. The outcomes of these lawsuits could have significant implications for the video game industry, particularly in terms of patent rights and intellectual property protection.
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