Activision hit with $23.4 mln US patent verdict in multiplayer-gaming case
By Blake Brittain
May 6 (Reuters) -A Delaware federal jury said Activision Blizzard ATVI.MX owes $23.4 million in damages for violating patents related to multiplayer features of its hit games "World of Warcraft," "Call of Duty: Black Ops III" and "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare."
The jury on Friday agreed with patent holder Acceleration Bay that aspects of the games' online multiplayer networking technology infringe two of its patents.
Representatives for Activision did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the verdict on Monday. Acceleration Bay president Joe Ward said in a statement that the company was "delighted" with the outcome.
Activision's multiplayer role-playing game "World of Warcraft" and first-person shooter "Call of Duty" series are some of the Santa Monica, California-based company's most popular titles. Acceleration Bay sued Activision in 2016 over patents that it acquired from Boeing BA.N.
The two patents at issue in the trial covered communications technology related to the "simultaneous sharing of information" between multiple "widely distributed" computers.
Activision argued that its technology works in a different way than Acceleration Bay's patents and does not infringe them. Activision also said any damages should be limited to no more than $300,000, according to a court filing.
The jury found that Activision owed $18 million based on infringing technology in "World of Warcraft" and $5.4 million for the "Call of Duty" games' infringement.
The case is Acceleration Bay LLC v. Activision Blizzard Inc, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, No. 1:16-cv-00453.
For Acceleration Bay: Paul Andre, Lisa Kobialka, James Hannah and Aaron Frankel of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel
For Activision: Trent Webb, Aaron Hankel, John Garretson, Jordan Bergsten and Lauren Douville of Shook Hardy & Bacon
Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington
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