The video game company Activision Blizzard has been ordered to pay a hefty fine of $23.4 million for patent infringement after a nine-year legal battle with technology incubator Acceleration Bay. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, alleged that Activision Blizzard misused patents related to networking and broadcasting in their multiplayer titles such as World of Warcraft and Call of Duty.
The jury ruled in favor of Acceleration Bay, awarding $18 million for copyright infringement related to World of Warcraft and $5.4 million for two Call of Duty games. Activision Blizzard plans to appeal the decision, stating that they have never used the patented technologies in question in their games.
This is not the first time Activision Blizzard has faced legal challenges from large corporations, as they have previously had disputes with EA, Take-Two, and Amazon Web Services for similar patent infringement issues. The company remains confident in their position and believes there is a solid basis for their appeal.
The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the video game industry and how companies handle intellectual property rights. Stay tuned for updates on this ongoing legal battle.