Every multiplayer, first-person shooter live service game has one thing in common; they are usually inundated by cheaters. Recently Bungie dragged Phoenix Digital/Aimjunkies (Destiny cheat providers) to court and alleged they infringed on their copyright.
Phoenix Digital filed a counterclaim, emphasizing that Bungie failed to prove an infringement on their copyright. Therefore, it was left for the jury to decide whether the cheat maker’s activities infringed on Bungie’s IP.
In a landmark ruling, which GameFile reporter Stephen Totilo considered an industry first, the jury ruled in favor of Bungie. This is not the first time that such a case has unfolded. However, it might be the first time that the ruling has gone in the favor of the gaming company.
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The case which lasted for a few days saw the jury award $63,210 to Bungie as damages. While it may be considered small by many, it is important to mention that only the profit made by Phoenix Digital by selling the cheat was considered. According to Totilo, Phoenix Digital founder David Schaefer said the company would fight the jury’s decision and, “if that fails, appeal”.
“We are grateful for the diligence, professionalism, and care exercised by the Judge, his staff, and the Jury,” said Bungie’s lawyer, James Barker. “We’re committed to our players and will continue to protect them against cheats, including taking this and future cases all the way to trial.”
The number of developers and publishers filing claims against cheat developers has skyrocketed in recent months. Leading this campaign is Activision Blizzard which has often received a default verdict, and received millions of dollars in reparation.
Notwithstanding the pushback by developers and publishers, cheat makers have continued to multiply too. According to Totilo, the recent lawsuit is one of the rare cases where a cheat maker has fought back, claiming that their actions weren’t illegal.
