Posted in: Blizzard, Games, Video Games, World Of Warcraft | Tagged: blizzard, Blizzard Entertainment, Glorious Saga, Sina Games, warcraft, world of warcraft

Blizzard is Suing Chinese Developer Sina Games for Ripping Off "Warcraft"

According to a recent report by Polygon, Blizzard Entertainment is suing Chinese game developer Sina Games. The lawsuit alleges that Sina Games' Glorious Saga is "almost entirely copied from the Warcraft games and related products." Blizzard is seeking maximum damages of $150,000 per infringed work and a court order to stop the copyright infringement.

Blizzard also alleges that many of Sina's games are based off other well-known franchises, indicating that the copyright infringement and plagiarism is a pattern for the Chinese developer.

Glorious Saga is available in China and the US. In the United States, the game is available on the Google Play store under the name "Glorious World."

From Polygon's report:

Blizzard's lawyers say that the defendants have "profited handsomely" from the game and its alleged copyright infringement, "attracting thousands of consumers" to Glorious Saga by using the offending imagery.

But Sina Games is just one of many games that have appropriated elements of Blizzard's intellectual property. According to the lawsuit, game studios often attempt to copy characters or imagery "because of the immense popularity of the Warcraft games and Warcraft universe," and Glorious Saga is just "among the latest" that have done so.

Blizzard outlines a number of complaints in the suit, including Glorious Saga's use of Warcraft character names like Jaina Proudmoore, Gul'dan, and Malfurion.

"Every monster, creature, animal, and vehicle in the Infringing Game was copied from the Warcraft games," the suit alleges. "Weapons, amulets, and other objects were taken straight from the Warcraft games, without pretense. Audio cues and sound effects from the Warcraft games were reproduced for the Infringing Game."

Blizzard's lawsuit also points to the similarity between Glorious Saga's app icon and the cover of World of Warcraft's Battle for Azeroth expansion, which is itself a callback to the classic Warcraft: Orcs vs Humans.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!