A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Tencent’s Fist Games against Shanghai Mu Pupil Technology over infringement of its game Endless Duels (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang) by League of Legends Handheld, saying the dispute between the two companies should be resolved in China.
Fist Games has said that Mu Hit Technology’s mobile multiplayer online tactical competition (MOBA) game, Endless Duel, constitutes a copy of Fist Games’ League of Legends: Wild Rift in terms of content, promotion, and many other aspects, causing an infringement of its intellectual property rights.
After months of trial, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, noting that Fist Games is wholly owned by Chinese conglomerate Tencent, found that the case should have been concluded in China. This is because Tencent and Fist Games filed two separate lawsuits against Mu Hitomi, one in China and the other in the United States. The domestic case is Honor of Kings against Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Fist Games is very unhappy with the ruling, stating, “We strongly object to the court’s ruling that the idea of allowing U.S. citizens to apply for M5 visas to fly overseas in order to file lawsuits in Chinese courts over works created in the U.S. and infringed upon is a violation of common sense. In addition, Hitomi’s copycat game is not even sold in China. We are exploring all possible options, including an appeal.”
