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Retired Dutch soccer player wins lawsuit against Riot Games

Riot Games will have to compensate retired Dutch soccer player Edgar Davids after a court ruled that a League of Legends champion skin infringed on his personal image rights.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

August 14, 2017

1 Min Read

Riot Games will have to compensate retired Dutch soccer player Edgar Davids after a court ruled that a League of Legends champion skin infringed on his personal image rights. 

According to Kotaku, the court found that the 'Striker Lucian' skin, which turns the character into a dreadlocked, goggle-clad soccer star, bore too much of a resemblance to Davids. 

For those of you who don't follow the sport, Davids was a star of the game during the late '90s and '00s who was instantly recognisable thanks to his unique dreadlock-goggle combo.  

The former Netherlands international was capped 74 times by his country and played for a number of huge clubs including Ajax, Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Barnet. 

Riot argued that fans would recognise the skin as its own character Lucian, and not Davids. Clearly, the court begged to differ, and now the studio must reveal how much cash the skin made before handing over a percentage of the profits to Davids.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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