Sony Interactive Entertainment has initiated legal action against Tencent concerning its upcoming game, “Light of Motiram,” asserting that it is an “unabashed copy” of the acclaimed “Horizon” series.
Filed on July 25 in California, the lawsuit accuses Tencent of blatant copyright and trademark infringement. Sony is seeking a jury trial and aims to halt the release of “Light of Motiram.” The company emphasizes the extreme similarity, stating, “Tencent`s replication of Horizon is so obvious that the public has labeled it `crazy,` `insane,` and `shameless`.”
Furthermore, SIE claims that Tencent previously approached them with an offer to license the “Horizon” intellectual property, which Sony declined.
Sony contends that Tencent is “deliberately misleading numerous gamers into believing Light of Motiram is the next installment in the Horizon series” by promoting it with a character strikingly similar to “Horizon`s” protagonist, Aloy.
According to Sony, Tencent`s conduct “has inflicted and continues to inflict irreparable harm upon SIE.” The company is demanding statutory damages of up to $150,000 for “each distinct work within the Horizon franchise that has been infringed.” Additionally, Sony requests that Tencent surrender all products and marketing materials featuring the alleged “prohibited marks” to SIE`s legal team for destruction.
Light of Motiram is currently available for wishlisting on Steam, though its release date remains unannounced. The game is being developed by Polaris Quest, a subsidiary of Tencent.