Ikea’s legal action raises debate over IP in video games
Ikea, the Swedish furniture retailer with hundreds of stores around the globe, has threatened legal action against the developer of The Store Is Closed, a survival horror video game that takes place in an Ikea-like store.
The game's lone developer studio based in the UK, who goes by the name ‘Ziggy’, released a successful Kickstarter campaign and a trailer for the game on YouTube, which quickly went viral.
In response, Ikea’s legal team sent a cease-and-desist letter, informing Jacob Shaw, the lone wolf behind Ziggy’s name, that they are aware of the likeness between the store and his game.
"Your game uses a blue and yellow sign with a Scandinavian name on the store, a blue box-like building, yellow vertical striped shirts identical to those worn by Ikea personnel, a grey path on the floor, furniture that looks like Ikea furniture, and product signage that looks like Ikea signage. All the foregoing immediately suggest that the game takes place in an Ikea store."
