24th May 2023 – (Beijing) Alibaba’s popular mobile game “Three Kingdoms Tactics” has been ordered by a Chinese court to pay 50 million yuan (US$7.23 million) in compensation to NetEase Inc over copyright infringement. NetEase released a statement confirming the court’s decision.
The ruling comes after NetEase filed a lawsuit against Alibaba in 2019, alleging that “Three Kingdoms Tactics” copied elements of its own game, “Invincible.” NetEase claimed that Alibaba’s game had copied the plot, characters, and other elements of its game. NetEase claimed that Alibaba’s game had copied the plot, characters, and other elements of its game.
Alibaba has stated that it will appeal the court’s decision and that the game will continue to operate. The company’s Weibo account, which is dedicated to the game, released a statement expressing its disappointment with the court’s ruling but also stating that it will respect the decision and take measures to comply with it.
The 50 million yuan fine is one of the largest fines issued by a court in China involving video games. It highlights the increasing importance of intellectual property rights in the country, particularly in the technology and entertainment sectors.