Roblox Corp (NYSE: RBLX) asserted in a complaint filed in the San Francisco federal court that a series of dolls based on the virtual gaming avatars of the firm violated its trademarks and copyrights.
Roblox says WowWee’s “My Avastars” imitate its player avatars
Notwithstanding WowWee Group Ltd’s relationship with an in-game developer, Roblox claimed that WowWee’s “My Avastars” dolls illegally mimic the recognizable blocky forms of player avatars in its well-known game platform.
The charges made by Roblox are totally meritless, according to WowWee, adding that the company is looking forward to forcefully defending its position, brand, and product. The business added that it attempted to settle the conflict amicably for several weeks and that it had willfully disassociated the dolls from Roblox.
Roblox is among the world’s most well-known online gaming platforms and among the first businesses to concentrate on the metaverse. Users of the platform can create “experiences” like games, occasions, and virtual locations that they can then access via character avatars.
According to the lawsuit filed by Roblox, Hong Kong-based WowWee collaborated with Gamefam, one of the leading experience developers, to produce a line of customized dolls that correspond to player avatars in the role-playing game “My Avastars: RP.”
Gamefam didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment because it is not a respondent in the case.
The lawsuit indicated, “Observing the centrality of Roblox’s avatars to its success, WowWee saw a chance for a quick buck and chose to exploit Roblox’s success — its brand, its reputation, its goodwill, and its intellectual property — without ever involving Roblox.”
WowWee had another license agreement with Jazwares LLC
Additionally, Roblox asserted that WowWee never requested a similar license because it already has an agreement to produce avatar dolls with another business, Jazwares LLC.
According to the lawsuit, WowWee violated Roblox’s trademark and copyright rights, violated its terms of service, and misrepresented the dolls’ affiliation with Roblox in its marketing and promotion. In addition to requesting unspecified monetary damages, it requested the judge to halt doll sales.
