Bethesda's Dispute With Warner Bros Over Westworld for iOS Copying Fallout Shelter Now Resolved

[MacRumors]

Last June, Bethesda filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros, accusing Warner Bros of copying popular iOS game Fallout Shelter with the Westworld game for iOS. In a lawsuit filed in a Maryland court, Bethesda called Westworld for iOS a "blatant rip-off" of its Fallout Shelter game, first released in 2015.

As noted by our sister site Touch Arcade, the dispute between the two companies today ended in a rather boring way, with a single line press release that provides little detail on the resoluton.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Jan. 3, 2019) -- Bethesda Softworks and Behaviour Interactive jointly announced today that the parties have amicably resolved the lawsuit Bethesda brought against Behaviour and others related to the Fallout(R) Shelter and Westworld mobile games.

It appears that Bethesda and Behaviour Interactive, the company that developed Westworld for Warner Bros and also worked on Fallout Shelter, have reached a satisfactory agreement, with the latter likely providing payment to Bethesda.

There were marked similarities between the two games. In Fallout Shelter players run an underground bunker in the Fallout universe, directing bunker inhabitants to build and manage facilities, go out on expeditions, and more, with the ultimate goal of building up the bunker.

Westworld, based on the popular HBO show, uses a similar concept, with an underground Delos facility that players are required to build out to create AI hosts and satisfy guests in the park. The ultimate goal is to build up an underground Westworld facility along with the above-ground park.

In the lawsuit, Bethesda accused Warner Bros and Behavior Interactive of breach of contract, copyright infringement, unfair competition, and misappropriation of trade secrets. Bethesda claimed that Behaviour Interactive stole game design, art style, and animations, along with copyrighted computer code.

According to Bethesda, Westworld had a unique bug that was also found in builds of Fallout Shelter, pointing towards the reuse of the Fallout Shelter code. Prior to settling the lawsuit out of court, Bethesda had requested a jury trial, statutory damages, along with restitution and lawyers fees and costs.

Bethesda also asked for the Westworld mobile game to be removed from distribution, something that never happened as Westworld continues to be available for download.

Article Link: Bethesda's Dispute With Warner Bros Over Westworld for iOS Copying Fallout Shelter Now Resolved

 

[Spoon!]

They should really focus on making their games not suck and not having so many bugs.

 

[springsup]

According to Bethesda, Westworld had a unique bug that was also found in builds of Fallout Shelter, pointing towards the reuse of the Fallout Shelter code.

It's sort of poetic that even Bethesda use bugs to identity their own code.

 

[lolkthxbai]

cha-ching!

 

[szw-mapple fan]

It's sort of poetic that even Bethesda use bugs to identity their own code.

Bugs -- the mountweazel of modern times.

 

[adib]

It's sort of poetic that even Bethesda use bugs to identity their own code.

It's similar to how maps publishers identify copyright infringements of their maps — blatant copies would have the same inaccuracies. Some even purposely introduce these inaccuracies to detect copy-cats.

 

[chucker23n1]

It's similar to how maps publishers identify copyright infringements of their maps — blatant copies would have the same inaccuracies. Some even purposely introduce these inaccuracies to detect copy-cats.

Yup. Generally works well in databases. Deliberately put a record in that looks plausible enough, but is made-up. Third parties who steal the entire database will easily be discovered.

 

[Elyzien]

Oh, Please!

All iOS games are structured the same!

 

[jecowa]

Wasn't there a better game to copy?

 

[Anarchy99]

i remember when fallout shelter was announced they mentioned some of there devs (bethesda's) made this mobile game in there down time not to make money but to make a enjoyable game.


this lawsuit proves that was just bunk as Bethesda didn't even make it.

im getting so sick of companies lying to me, just tell me the truth i already know your greedy etc.

 

[Michael Goff]

Oh, Please!

All iOS games are structured the same!

This isn’t about a game structure, this is about a very specific bug.

 

[Elyzien]

This isn’t about a game structure, this is about a very specific bug.

Bllloh mmm kay if u say so.

 

[Michael Goff]

Bllloh mmm kay if u say so.

No, that’s what Bethesda said. They pointed out specific bugs that were occurring in early Fallout Shelter development that was in the released version of Westworld.

 

[Elyzien]

No, that’s what Bethesda said. They pointed out specific bugs that were occurring in early Fallout Shelter development that was in the released version of Westworld.

Not my point... it clearly looks like every other boring monile game & I’m sure it includes the same horrible controls.

 

[chucker23n1]

Not my point... it clearly looks like every other boring monile game & I’m sure it includes the same horrible controls.

So… you think they shouldn't sue over what is clearly a strong case of infringement?