Newsbrief: Overwatch maker Blizzard Entertainment and Chinese distributor NetEase have been awarded 4 million yuan ($569,000) after a court found Chinese publisher 4399 Network guilty of copyright infringement.
As reported by Shine (a digital Shanghai Daily supplement), the Pudong New Area People's Court found that two of 4399 Network's titles, Clash of Fighters and Gunplay Battlefront, intentionally copied aspects of Overwatch including specific character designs, maps, and gameplay elements.
4399 Network had attempted to argue that Overwatch itself actually pulled similar elements from other popular games, and therefore it couldn't be accused of copyright infringement. The court, however, sided with Blizzard and NetEase, resulting in the payout.