Many game titles at online casinos may appear similar on the surface in terms of appearance and how they function. There could soon be a new legal precedent that determines how similar they can be.
Two lawsuits are currently playing out between rival game developers in federal court. The plaintiffs both allege that the defendant has produced casino games that are too similar to their prior titles. If they go to trial, this could result in new standards for game developers.
Two separate but similar lawsuits
The plaintiff in the one suit is Aristocrat Gaming. Aristocrat accuses Light & Wonder of copying elements of its Dragon Link series in the game Dragon Train. In a newer complaint, Evolution Gaming claims the game Roulette X copies elements of its title Lightning Roulette. Lightning Roulette is one of Evolution’s most successful products.
In both lawsuits, Light & Wonder is accused of copyright and patent infringement. Both plaintiffs claim that their games contain copyright elements of proprietary games they released before these games. Players enjoy playing slot games such as these on their mobile phones using online casino apps.
Evolution also alleges violation of trade secrets
Evolution’s complaint differs from Aristocrats in that it details a good faith agreement with Light & Wonder. The two parties were collaborating to develop a game similar to Evolution’s Lightning Roulette live dealer title. Evolution has three patents concerning the game. Just as using a VPN is helpful in boosting internet security, patents help to protect proprietary information.
Evolution shared important and confidential details about the game with Light & Wonder, including its underlying math files. These outlined the mathematical design of the game. A few months later, Light & Wonder attempted to unilaterally terminate the agreement. It started telling Evolution customers that the two parties were no longer working together. The company then went ahead and released Roulette X, which has a remarkably similar appearance, features, and functions to Lightning Roulette.
The lawsuit contends that Light & Wonder infringed on all three patents relating to Lightning Roulette and violated trade secrets. Evolution’s attorneys said that Light & Wonder’s conduct was deliberate and malicious. It used trade secrets to develop its own copycat product.
The court is still deliberating
In the Aristocrat case, judgment is still pending but it secured a preliminary victory in litigation. The court has issued an injunction that blocks Light & Wonder from commercially using the Dragon Train slots. This means the judge believes Aristocrat’s case has merits and has a chance of success if it goes to trial. He believes that if Light & Wonder continues to use Dragon Train slots, this could cause harm to Aristocrat.
Light & Wonder is currently developing Dragon Train 2, which would comply with the order of the judge. It has asked for dismissal of the Evolution case but the court hasn’t ruled on this yet.
Possible outcome
With the current gaming market size, it isn’t surprising that issues like game similarities are coming to the fore. Both of these cases could result in settlements between the parties. If not, and they go to trial, the result could establish new protocols for game developers.
A new legal precedent could govern how similar the games developers produce can be to existing games. If the plaintiffs win their cases, it could make developers more wary about copying elements from other developers’ games. It certainly isn’t unheard of for game developers to license specific game mechanics in the casino industry.