NCSoft Corporation, the South Korean video game developer and publisher, filed a lawsuit against Kakao Games Corp. for alleged copyright infringement. It claimed that the latter's "ROM: Remember Of Majesty" multi-player role-playing game (MMORPG) has copied its "Lineage W" title.
Kakao Games has yet to release "ROM: Remember Of Majesty" next week, but it seems it will have issues due to NCSoft Corporation's complaint filed on Thursday, Feb. 22, at the Seoul Central District Court. Pulse News says the company is suing its rival for copyright infringement and unfair competition.
Explanation of the Complaints
Aside from Kakao Games, NCSoft also named Redlab Games Inc. another defendant in its suit. On the same day of the filing, the video game developer also filed civil lawsuits against two companies with the Taiwanese Intellectual Property and Commercial Court for alleged violations of copyright law and fair trade law.
In its complaint, NCSoft said it has confirmed that "ROM: Remember Of Majesty" MMORPG created by Kakao Games and Redlab Games has copied the content and systems of its "Lineage W" game. It said the imitation was so extensive that, based on its review, it covered the game concept, content, and user interface.
"This legal response goes beyond protecting intellectual property rights (IP) and is a necessary measure to strengthen the competitiveness of the Korean gaming industry," an official of NCSoft said in a statement. "We need to protect it from theft as we are deeply concerned about the repeated unauthorized use and plagiarism of content."
Kakao Games at a Disadvantage
Insight Korea reported that even if Kakao Games wins the lawsuit, it will still encounter issues, and its upcoming "ROM" could take a toll on the company. Moreover, even if the court favors Kakao Games, it is unclear if the game can benefit the company in the long run.
"As new games are being released one after another in the domestic game market, the previously popular MMORPG genre itself is no longer showing the same status as before," an official in the game industry commented. "Without clear differentiation, it will quickly be left out among other similar works."
Photo by: NCSoft Media Center


Nvidia Partners With Fanuc and Yaskawa to Accelerate AI Robotics in Japan
Uber to Acquire Delivery Hero in $14.8 Billion Deal to Expand Global Food Delivery Business
Eli Lilly Eyes AtaiBeckley Acquisition to Expand Psychedelic Mental Health Pipeline
Richemont Q1 Sales Beat Forecast as Cartier Demand Drives Strong Growth
Netflix Stock Drops After Weak Q3 Outlook Overshadows Mixed Q2 Earnings
Volkswagen Launches €28,000 ID. Cross EV as Europe’s Electric Vehicle Demand Accelerates
United Airlines Beats Q2 Earnings, Raises 2026 Profit Outlook Despite Higher Fuel Costs
Volvo Cars Q2 Profit Falls as Automaker Bets on EX60 EV to Drive Recovery
SpaceX Stock Falls Below IPO Price as Investors Weigh Losses and Lockup Expiry
Airbus Signs Cloud Deal With Scaleway to Power Secure AI and Defense Applications
PayPal Rejects $53 Billion Stripe-Advent Takeover Offer as Too Low: Report
NTSB Leads Investigation Into Ryanair Boeing 737 Engine Failure Over Greece
Alibaba Stock Jumps as China Approves Apple Intelligence Powered by Qwen AI
Stripe, Advent Offer Over $53 Billion to Acquire PayPal in Major Fintech Deal
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List
Trump Criticizes ABC, NBC and CNN for Limiting Coverage of Election Speech
Sodexo Unveils Shift & Grow 2030 Strategy, Targets Over 5% Revenue Growth by Fiscal 2030 



