IP
Zynga Inc. Triumphs in Patent Infringement Lawsuit
Zynga Inc., a renowned video game company, emerged victorious against allegations of patent infringement. A Texas federal jury, after thorough deliberation, found that Zynga’s gaming apps did not infringe on a mobile gaming device patent.
Background of the Case
The lawsuit was initiated by IGT and IGT Canada Solutions ULC, who accused Zynga of infringing their U.S. Patent No. 9,159,189. The patent in question pertains to a “mobile gaming device carrying out uninterrupted game despite communications link disruption.” This patent was developed by International Game Technology, a Las Vegas-based gambling software company.
IGT’s contention was that Zynga, a San Francisco-based game developer famed for its creation of Farmville, among other online games, had violated their patent rights. Specifically, they alleged that Zynga’s gaming products, namely Hit It Rich, Game of Thrones Slots, and Black Diamond Casino, directly infringed upon the patented claims.
Jury’s Verdict
However, the jury’s verdict was in favor of Zynga. They found that not only did Zynga not directly infringe the patent claims through its aforementioned gaming apps, but also that the claims in the patent-in-suit were invalid. The jury deemed these claims too obvious to warrant a patent. Consequently, the jury ruled that no damages were to be paid by Zynga.
It is noteworthy that the jury did not provide any specific reasoning behind their decision. The hearing took place in Waco, presided over by U.S. District Judge Alan Albright.
Reactions to the Verdict
Post-verdict, a representative for Zynga expressed their satisfaction with the jury’s decision, stating to Law360,
“We were pleased that the jury came to the right conclusion in this case, the plaintiff’s allegations were entirely without merit.”
On the other hand, as of the latest updates, the counsel for IGT has not provided any comments.
Counsel to the Parties
- IGT:
- Represented by Deron R. Dacus of the Dacus Firm PC.
- Leif R. Sigmond Jr. of BakerHostetler.
- Zynga Inc.:
- Represented by Mark D. Siegmund of Cherry Johnson Siegmund James PLLC.
- Legal team from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP including Clement Seth Roberts, Elizabeth R. Moulton, Will Melehani, Sarah K. Mullins, Bas de Blank, Alyssa Caridis, Isaac S. Behnawa, Sten Jensen, William F. Stute, Lauren A. Weber, and Joseph R. Kolker.
IGT et al. v. Zynga Inc., case number 1:23-cv-01090, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Photo EFFIE YANG via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
