Sony Files Federal Lawsuit Against Tencent, Claims Upcoming Game 'Light Of Motiram' Rips Off Horizon's Story, Gameplay And Art

Sony Group Corp.'s (NYSE:SONY) Interactive Entertainment has accused Tencent Holdings ADR (OTC:TCEHY) of copying its popular “Horizon” video game series, filing a federal lawsuit that alleges the Chinese tech giant’s upcoming game, "Light of Motiram," is a near-exact replica.

What Happened: Filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit claims Light of Motiram is a "slavish clone" of Sony's Horizon franchise, copying gameplay, story themes and visual elements, reported Reuters.

Sony said the similarities extend to the game's post-apocalyptic setting, robot creatures, and a red-haired female protagonist, all central to its Horizon games, which began with Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017.

See Also: Trump’s New EU Trade Deal Labeled ‘Bad News’ By Economists As Dow Futures Spike Over 150 Points

Sony also revealed it declined a collaboration offer from Tencent last year for a Horizon-related project, only for Tencent to later announce Light of Motiram, prompting accusations of intellectual property theft.

Sony and Tencent did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.

Price Action: On Monday, Sony shares fell 2.09% during regular trading but ticked up 0.25% after hours, ending the day at $24.42, according to Benzinga Pro.

Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that SONY is experiencing short-term downward momentum, though it maintains solid upward momentum in the medium and long term. The stock receives strong marks for quality, but its value score remains comparatively weak. Additional performance metrics can be found here.

Read Next: 

• Delta’s AI Now Sets Unique Prices For Each Passenger—Here’s What We Know

Photo courtesy: testing / Shutterstock.com

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.