Riot files new lawsuit against Moonton for copying League of Legends: Wild Rift
Marie Dealessandri
Features Editor
Tuesday 10th May 2022
Riot Games
Riot Games has filed a new lawsuit against Moonton Technology, alleging that the Chinese developer has repeatedly copied League of Legends: Wild Rift with its own Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
In the suit filed on Monday at the US District Court for the Central District of California (via Reuters), Riot said that "Moonton's strategy is blatant copying."
The LoL developer is seeking "to stop Moonton from continuing its deliberate and sustained campaign to free ride on Riot's highly valuable rights in the mobile video game League of Legends: Wild Rift," the suit added.
It's far from the first time Riot sues Moonton, with a lawsuit from 2017 already attacking Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, following actions against previous titles Magic Rush: Heroes and Mobile Legends: 5v5 MOBA. Each time these games were removed from stores, a new version would pop up soon after, Riot alleged, still infringing the League of Legends IP.
The 2017 case was dismissed later that year as the court said it would be "better heard" in China, as Riot Games is owned by Chinese giant Tencent and Moonton is Shanghai-based, and a part of TikTok's parent company ByteDance.
"Over the years, as Riot updated its video game, Moonton would copy it," the most recent lawsuit read. "When Riot updated the game's promotional materials, Moonton copied them. And when Riot released a new trailer, Moonton copied it. This is a critical issue for Riot."
Earlier this year, Riot Games sued Vietnamese developer Imba Technology, which it accused of copying League of Legends with its game I Am Hero: AFK Tactical Teamfight.
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