A MMORPG from South Korea has reportedly lost a copyright lawsuit for allegedly copying a competitor’s product – even the loot drop rate is said to be the same.
Which MMORPG is it about? R2 Mobile (R2M) is a fantasy MMORPG for Android and iOS devices created by the Korean developer studio Webzen (MU Online, Metin 2) and set in a medieval environment.
In addition to three character classes – a knight, an archer, and a wizard – R2M offers additional genre-typical elements such as raids, guilds, and dungeons.
Players can complete daily quests, farm equipment, or duel in PvP. For experienced players, there are also so-called hardcore quests that promise a more difficult challenge.
A trailer for R2M can be seen here:
What is the lawsuit about? According to Korean media, Webzen lost a copyright lawsuit against NC Soft. The studio, also from South Korea, took action against R2 Mobile, claiming that the MMORPG copies its own game “Lineage M”.
A representative of NC Soft also claimed in court that R2M lures users by exploiting the reputation of Lineage M. Moreover, the degree of similarity is so great that “there is no reason not to play one of the two games first.”
Additionally, NC Soft stated that R2M has the same systems, monster mechanics and even the same loot drop rate up to three decimal places as Lineage M. Also, the basic UI is reportedly the same according to a representative of NC Soft.
What is the ruling? A Korean court has decided that Webzen is not allowed to “make the game offered under the name R2M accessible to the public.” Webzen is also prohibited from advertising R2M, reproducing, distributing, transferring or adapting it.
Furthermore, Webzen has been ordered to pay NC Soft “1 billion won plus interest at the rate of 12% per year from June 29, 2021, until the day of full payment” and to cover the court costs. One billion won is approximately 688,500 euros (as of August 22, 2023)
What happens next for R2? Webzen stated on the company’s website that it intends to prepare an “appeal against the first-instance ruling,” although it respects the court’s decision (via r2m.webzen.co.kr).
Furthermore, the studio wants to ensure that the R2M services are “not interrupted until the final court decision on the appeal.”
However, NC Soft is not the only studio looking to avoid copyright violations:
