20 February 2013Copyright

EA and Zynga settle over video game

Video game producer Electronic Arts (EA) and Internet game maker Zynga have settled their copyright dispute over The Sims Social and The Ville.

EA designed The Sims Social as a game to be played on social network Facebook. The company sued Zynga in the US in August last year, describing its Facebook game, The Ville, of being an “unmistakeable copy” of The Sims Social.

Zynga, which produces games for use on social networks and mobile phones, responded two months later. The company accused EA of filing a “sham” lawsuit that contained baseless allegations.

The companies released a joint statement on Monday that said they have resolved their respective claims and ended their litigation at the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

EA introduced The Sims Social in June 2011 to accompany the well-known video game, The Sims. The game was specifically designed for Facebook, allowing users of the social network to introduce their fictional Sims characters with other players on the site. In June 2012, Zynga launched The Ville, which enables players to earn points by carrying out activities such as building a house.

US copyright law provides that aspects of video games, such as designs and characters, can be copyrighted, rather than the concept of the game itself.

Benjamin Marks, partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, said disputes over video games’ copyright were not uncommon in the US.

He said it was hard to say what the settlement between EA and Zynga looks like, as there are “no hard and fast rules” for determining such deals.

He added: “Deals are not necessarily of a financial nature. There could be a practical aspect of a company’s products that the other believes is infringing and wants it to change. But there can be royalties involved.”

A spokesman for Zynga said the companies had settled out of court, without providing further details. EA did not respond to a request for comment.

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