Riot Games and MOONTON, the developers of League of Legends and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) respectively, have finally put an end to their intellectual property disputes with a global settlement. This settlement comes after years of legal battles that began in 2016.
Image Credits: Riot Games
MOONTON Games confirmed the settlement in a statement sent to the media, mentioning that Riot Games will be withdrawing all related lawsuits following this agreement. The email stated,
“MOONTON Games and Riot Games have reached a global settlement on their intellectual property disputes. After several rounds of communication, the two parties officially signed a settlement agreement recently, and Riot Games decided to formally withdraw the related lawsuits.”
History of Legal Disputes
The conflict between Riot Games and MOONTON dates back to 2016 when Riot Games filed complaints against MOONTON to Google and Apple, alleging copyright infringement in their game, Mobile Legends: 5v5 MOBA. This led to the removal of the game, which was later reintroduced as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
MLBB has grown to become a major esports title like League of Legends (Image Credits: MOONTON)
Subsequent legal action by Riot Games in 2017 and 2022, alleging similarities between Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and League of Legends, led to further court battles. However, a US court dismissed the case, recommending resolution in a Chinese court due to various factors, including Riot’s parent company Tencent’s involvement in both disputes.
With today’s announcement of a settlement, it seems the ongoing legal disputes are finally coming to a close. While specific details of the settlement remain undisclosed, this agreement marks a significant milestone for both companies.
