NetEase and PUBG Corp have reached a settlement over NetEase’s copyright infringement of Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) with its Knives Out and  Rules of Survival.

Last April, PUBG Corp filed a lawsuit against NetEase, claiming that the two mobile games created by NetEase are very similar to PUBG on PC, which might distract some players before the release of its mobile version. At the very beginning, the accusation attempted to demonstrate that the two games share several similarities in vision, sound and gameplay.

Earlier reports mentioned that PUBG Corp had communicated the issue with Apple in January. After that, PUBG filed a 155-page document in April claiming that the the two mobile games by NetEase were identical to PUBG in architecture, terrain, vehicles, equipments and the slogan “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner”.  

In response, NetEase issued an announcement on April 6th that it owned independent intellectual property rights on Knives Out as well as Rules of Survival and that it would uphold its lawful right. The company then filed a counter-complaint, alleging that PUBG attempted to monopolize the battle competitive type, hamper free competition and snatch the copyright of “winner winner chicken dinner”.

Games Industry quoted McArthur Law Firm’s report that the two companies have now filed a settlement for both complaints, while the above issues and whether or not NetEase’s games need changes are unknown.

Regardless of legal arguments, PUBG’s accusation seems to have aroused widespread curiosity about Knives Out. In its 2018 financial report, NetEase cited the data from Sensor Tower that Knives Out has become the most profitable Chinese game in overseas markets for five consecutive months, contributing 11% of year-on-year growth. 

March 27, 2019

Source: Sina Finance - youxiputao.com

photo from: NetEase