IRONMACE WINS BIG in COURT

Summary

In this video, the ongoing legal battle between Nexon and Iron Mace, developers of *Dark and Darker*, is discussed. Nexon accused Iron Mace of stealing intellectual property (IP) from their *Project P3* to create *Dark and Darker*. After a police investigation, it was revealed that Iron Mace did not use Nexon’s IP, although there were concerns about improper use of an external server during *Project P3’s* development. Despite this, the investigation found no grounds for IP theft, clearing Iron Mace. The case continues, but this marks a significant legal victory for Iron Mace.

Takeaways

• 😀 The lawsuit revolves around allegations that Iron Mace, creators of *Dark and Darker*, stole intellectual property (IP) from Nexon's *Project P3* during its development.
• 😀 Iron Mace was founded by two former Nexon developers, Terry and Juin Choy (SDF), along with other team members who left Nexon due to internal disputes.
• 😀 Nexon accused Iron Mace of using *P3*'s development data to create *Dark and Darker*, which led to a series of legal actions, including a DMCA takedown from Steam.
• 😀 The DMCA takedown was later lifted after a court ruling, with the case being moved from the United States to South Korea for further investigation.
• 😀 South Korean authorities ordered both Nexon and Iron Mace to provide detailed source code and development logs for both *P3* and *Dark and Darker*.
• 😀 The police investigation found no evidence of IP theft or misuse of trade secrets by Iron Mace regarding *P3*.
• 😀 There was a suggestion that Iron Mace's SDF (Juin Choy) may have illegally exported data to an external server while at Nexon, but this is considered a separate issue from the *Dark and Darker* development.
• 😀 The South Korean police recommended no charges for Iron Mace related to copyright violations or unfair competition, signaling a favorable outcome for the company.
• 😀 Despite the investigation clearing Iron Mace of the main allegations, a minor issue remains regarding the use of an external server during development.
• 😀 Iron Mace's response emphasizes that *Dark and Darker* was developed independently and that Nexon's claims of unauthorized leaks were false. The company is committed to defending fair competition and creative freedom in the gaming industry.

Q & A

What was the primary legal issue between Nexon and Iron Mace?

The main legal issue was Nexon accusing Iron Mace of stealing intellectual property (IP) from Nexon's Project P3 to create their game *Dark and Darker*. This led to lawsuits in both the United States and South Korea.

What legal action did Nexon take against *Dark and Darker*?

Nexon filed a DMCA takedown request against *Dark and Darker* on Steam, claiming that the game used their IP from Project P3. This resulted in the game being temporarily removed from Steam.

How did the DMCA takedown get overturned?

The DMCA takedown was overturned because a U.S. court ruled that the DMCA could not be enforced without a lawsuit in the U.S. Once this was cleared, *Dark and Darker* was relisted on Steam.

What role did the South Korean police investigation play in the case?

The South Korean police conducted a thorough investigation, comparing the source code and development logs of both *Dark and Darker* and Nexon's Project P3. Their findings concluded that Iron Mace had not used Nexon's development data or violated copyright laws.

What was the outcome of the police investigation regarding the alleged IP theft?

The investigation found no evidence to support the claim that Iron Mace had stolen IP from Nexon. The police concluded that *Dark and Darker* was developed independently, and no charges for copyright infringement or unfair competition were recommended.

What did the police investigation reveal about the use of external servers?

The police investigation found that Iron Mace's use of external servers during development was for improper purposes, possibly involving the illegal export of data when the developers worked at Nexon. However, this did not lead to charges of IP theft related to *Dark and Darker*.

How did Iron Mace respond to Nexon's claims and the police investigation?

Iron Mace firmly stated that *Dark and Darker* was a creative work developed independently. They denied any unauthorized data leakage and declared that Nexon's claims of IP theft were false. They also vowed to continue defending themselves against unfair behavior from large corporations.

What did the police recommend in terms of indictment for Iron Mace?

The police recommended not to indict Iron Mace on charges of violating the Copyright Act or the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, as they found no significant evidence of wrongdoing regarding *Dark and Darker*.

What impact did the police findings have on the case against Iron Mace?

The findings from the police investigation were a major victory for Iron Mace, as the authorities concluded that *Dark and Darker* was an independent development. This significantly weakened Nexon's case and improved Iron Mace's position in the ongoing trial.

Is the legal battle over for Iron Mace and *Dark and Darker*?

No, the case is still ongoing. While the police investigation cleared Iron Mace of most charges, there is still a trial to determine the final outcome, particularly regarding the issue of the external server and the potential misuse of data.