Activision Blizzard has been ordered to pay a hefty $23.4 million fine after a jury found it guilty of infringing patents held by tech incubator Acceleration Bay. The legal battle, which began in 2015, revolved around Activision Blizzard’s use of patented networking and broadcasting technologies in its multiplayer games, including World of Warcraft and Call of Duty.
The lawsuit details indicated that Activision Blizzard unlawfully used technology that facilitates the simultaneous sharing of information across widely dispersed computers. The jurors were tasked with deciding if Activision Blizzard’s products infringed on any of Acceleration Bay’s patents and, subsequently, determining a fair compensation for the infringement.
The breakdown of the compensation includes $18 million for the infringement related to World of Warcraft and $5.4 million concerning two Call of Duty titles. Despite the verdict, Activision Blizzard expressed its disappointment and hinted at a strong basis for an appeal, stating, “We have never used the patented technologies at issue in our games.”
The ruling could have broader implications, as Acceleration Bay has also initiated similar legal actions against other major companies, including Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, and Amazon. These cases are still pending, hinting at potentially lengthy legal battles ahead.
As the gaming community watches these developments, Activision Blizzard remains in the spotlight, not only for this case but also for other legal challenges it has faced recently, including a dismissed lawsuit involving OpTic Gaming and the Call of Duty League.
