Silicon Knights' Lawsuit Against Epic Will Not Be Denied

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Silicon Knights' Lawsuit Against Epic Will Not Be Denied


The latest chapter in the ongoing legal tussle between Epic Games [http://siliconknights.com/]has been written, with the court refusing a motion to dismiss the suit entirely.

In July, Silicon Knights counter-suit [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/75104] in August, saying it had done nothing wrong and that Silicon Knights was simply looking for a way out of paying for the engine they had licensed.

Following the ruling, Epic Vice President Mark Rein said, "[The Judge] put the discovery process in motion, which will allow the lawsuits to move forward. Epic had asked for the entire case to be dismissed. Judge Denver denied this request, which is not unusual. Often these requests are denied. It is important to note that this was not a decision on the merits of Silicon Knights' claims. We are confident that the evidence will show Silicon Knights breached its license with Epic Games and violated our copyrights and trade secrets."

Christoper T. Holland, the attorney for Silicon Knights, was equally optimistic about the decision. "We're a long way from a verdict in this case," he said in remarks to GameDaily.biz [http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/epic-games-motion-to-dismiss-silicon-knights-suit-denied/18372/], "but certainly as a plaintiff we're pleased that the court has recognized the merit in our claims and we're happy that we can now proceed as planned with all the claims we brought for discovery and trial."

Despite the lawsuit and Silicon Knights' apparent problems, the Unreal Engine 3 has been popular among licensees and used in numerous games including Unreal Tournament 3 [http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/home.html]. No trial date has been set.


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