EA and Zynga have reached a settlement out of court, ending their dispute over alleged copyright infringement of the former’s Sims Social in the latter’s The Ville. While the terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, Zynga has said in a statement, “EA and Zynga have resolved their respective claims and have reached a settlement of their litigation in the Northern District of California.”
The case started back in August of last year, when EA filed a lawsuit against Zynga claiming the Facebook game The Ville “wilfully and intentionally copied and misappropriated the original and distinctive expressive elements of The Sims Social in a violation of U.S. copyright laws.” This prompted Zynga to file a counter-claim, believing the actions from EA to be “anticompetitive and unlawful business practices”
According to Northern District of California court filings, both sides are responsible for their respective legal fees, and all claims have been “dismissed with prejudice”, which indicates they cannot be revisited.
Report filed by Thomas Coutts