Hasbro Files Suit

Hasbro Interactive has filed suit against several game companies over unauthorized versions of some well-known videogames. The suit, filed in Monday morning in United States District Court in Boston, maintains that eGames, GT Interactive, and several other game makers alleging infringement on Hasbro copyrights to games like Centipede and Asteroids. Also named in the suit are Xtreme Games, MVP Software, Webfoot Technologies, and Varcon Systems. The games in question are largely low cost games, with titles like TetriMania or Mac-Man, that are rip-offs of classic game titles. Hasbro acquired the exclusive rights to many of these games as part of its purchase of Atari, and in the past year has become more interested in enforcing its copyrights as it has released new 3D versions of Centipede and Missile Command. "Content is Hasbro's core business and other companies don't have the right to profit from the success of our intellectual properties and our ability to make them successful. We're committed to protecting our brands and licenses to the full extent of the law," said Hasbro general counsel Barry Nagler.