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EA Sues Zynga For Copying Sims Game

Posted by Soulskill on from the your-uppance-will-come dept.

Social game developer Zynga has been on the receiving end of complaints in the past for releasing games that look a bit too much like games from indie developers, and for other shady business practices. Now, they've run afoul of somebody with sharper teeth. Today Electronic Arts and Maxis filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Zynga claiming that The Ville is "blatant mimicry" of The Sims Social. "'This is a case of principle,' says EA Maxis general manager Lucy Bradshaw. 'Maxis isn't the first studio to claim that Zynga copied its creative product. But we are the studio that has the financial and corporate resources to stand up and do something about it. Infringing a developer's copyright is not an acceptable practice in game development.' In its complaint, EA argues that Zynga willfully and intentionally copied ideas from The Sims Social, the Facebook edition of the EA/Maxis franchise that released in August 2011. When Zynga released The Ville last June, consumers and the press immediately pointed out that the title resembled The Sims more than a little."

2 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I Hate Zynga, But... by Maxmin · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    'identical' ... 'similar' ... 'close' ... 'almost identical'

    Pick one. I'm looking at the lawsuit PDF and seeing many differences. Similar ideas, but different expressions.

    --
    O lord, bless this thy holy hand grenade, that with it thou mayest blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.
  2. Re:Rules by EdIII · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Are you kidding? In this economy?

    I don't think a lot of people are caring right now about the next 5-10 years, when they can only see a few months ahead with less than 2 weeks of savings left. I don't see things getting any better, and everyone I know is adapting to less and just trying to survive with little hope for a brighter future.

    While I may be able to turn down a job at Zynga right now, I have to be honest. If things were to get much worse and I could not pay bills with no reliable work in sight, I might take a job at a place like Zynga. I would hold it out as long as possible and search for options, but still.....

    I'm lucky to have a steady job at a nice place. I know some people who have not had steady work for a year or more. If you have kids you bet you would be lined up at Zynga for an offer of a decent paying job in such a situation.

    That's assuming the developers are in the US. If they are outsourcing it to India, which is a pit, I don't blame those guys over there one bit. They have families to feed and 1000 other developers willing to take the work.

    Sad, but true.