Krafton sues Apple, Google, Garena over Free Fire
Brendan Sinclair
Managing Editor
Thursday 13th January 2022
Garena
Krafton inc
Player Unknown's Battlegrounds owner Krafton this week filed suit against Apple, Google, and Garena over Free Fire and Free Fire Max, two mobile battle royale shooters that Krafton alleges are "blatantly infringing" on PUBG, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
"Free Fire and Free Fire Max extensively copy numerous aspects of Battlegrounds, both individually and in combination, including Battlegrounds' copyrighted unique game opening 'air drop' feature, the game structure and play, the combination and selection of weapons, armor, and unique objects, locations, and the overall choice of color schemes, materials, and textures," Krafton said.
Images from Krafton's legal filing
The suit lays out a number of similarities between the games, from the pre-game lobby to the map layouts to the frying pan weapon that can be used as armor to a poultry-themed victory celebration at the end of a round.
"When a player emerges victorious at the end of Free Fire, his or her screen displays a cartoon chicken resting atop an image of a roast chicken dinner," Krafton explains in the lawsuit. "This catchphrase that was creatively selected by Krafton to congratulate winners of Battlegrounds has become emblematic of Battlegrounds. The juxtaposition of this lighthearted expression of victory with the survival narrative of the game adds elements of surprise and humor to the work, and the artistic inclusion of this emphatic expression has become particularly beloved by the gaming community.
"Garena has employed the use of chicken imagery in Free Fire, including but not limited to the display of a roast chicken dinner when a player is victorious... On information and belief, Garena
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