Aristocrat has instituted legal proceedings against Light & Wonder over a purported breach of intellectual property rights. Allegedly, Aristocrat argues that there is a striking similarity between the latter’s Dragon Train product and its proprietary Dragon Link series.
The claims are not merely based on the apparent likeness in the audiovisual components and game mechanics of the two products, but also raise questions about the development team behind Light & Wonder’s product. Particularly, this team includes a considerable representation of ex-Aristocrat’s top brass, such as Emma Charles and Lloyd Sefton, who were formerly part of Aristocrat’s Dragon Link team, and are subsequently suspected to have a hand in the production of Dragon Train.
Consequently, Aristocrat, one of Australia’s major slot machine entities, presented its case before the District Court of Nevada, pointing out the striking resemblances between the two competing games. It is Aristocrat’s contention that the likelihood of Emma Charles and/or Lloyd Sefton exploiting the company’s intellectual property is not only plausible but highly probable.
The lawsuit hints that the two former Aristocrat team members may have divulged trade secrets, copyright-protected content, and classified information while orchestrating the development of Light & Wonder’s Dragon Train.
The main contention of Aristocrat is that rather than coming out with an original game, its competitor merely rode on the success of Dragon Link and reproduced its concept.
This is Not the First Instance of Light & Wonder’s Alleged Plagiarism, Claims Aristocrat
The Australian slot company also pointed out that this wasn’t the first instance when Light & Wonder allegedly violated its intellectual property rights. It alleges that the competitor, which has hired several former Aristocrat employees, initially infringed Dragon Link’s trademarked name by releasing a game titled Dragon Unleashed Link. Following this, Aristocrat alleges that Light & Wonder imitated the audiovisual aspects and trade dress of Dragon Link in a game named Jewel of the Dragon.
Aristocrat further claims that Dragon Train takes the imitation one notch higher by replicating the unique game mechanics used in Dragon Link.
Subsequently, Aristocrat has indicated its intention to deeply investigate this issue to fully comprehend the extent of Light & Wonder’s purported IP infringements.
Light & Wonder Rebuts Lawsuit as Unfounded
In retort, Light & Wonder has shrugged off Aristocrat’s allegations, terming the underlying lawsuit as unwarranted. In their defense, the company posits that Dragon Train is a part of their broad range of games which are all developed to be innovative and competitive.
Adding to this, Light & Wonder stated that the lawsuit proposed by Aristocrat was groundless and affirmed its readiness to robustly defend its position in the court of law.
