Hyper-Casual Simulation Video Games May Not Be Original Enough to Enjoy Copyright Protection, but Game Cloning Could Still Be Prevented by Relying on Unfair Competition: Voodoo v Rollic Games and Hero Games (Tribunal Judiciaire De Paris, 4 September 2020)

Abstract

On 4 September 2020, the Tribunal Judiciaire of Paris ruled that the mobile game Woodturning 3D was not original enough to enjoy copyright protection, but nonetheless granted an injunction and other remedies against a "clone" of the game on unfair competition grounds. This paper comments the decision and analyses the topics of copyright subsistence for video games, copyright protection for (combinations of) game mechanics, and unfair competition as an additional weapon against game cloning.

Keywords: Videogames, copyright, unfair competition, intellectual property, game clones