Court Clears Dark and Darker Dev Ironmace of Copyright Violations but Orders Payment to Nexon
A South Korean court has found Ironmace's game, Dark and Darker, did not infringe copyright laws, yet the studio must pay significant damages to Nexon for trade secret violations.
A South Korean court has ruled that Dark and Darker developer Ironmace did not commit copyright infringement against Nexon, but must pay nearly $6 million due to trade secret violations.
Dark and Darker, a fantasy PvPvE extraction game, gained popularity in early 2023, despite its rough alpha state. Nexon accused Ironmace of using “stolen” code to develop the game, following its own halted project, codenamed P3. Ironmace was founded shortly after Nexon’s project was abandoned.
After legal disputes and investigations, which even led to Dark and Darker being removed from Steam, a court dismissed Nexon’s preliminary injunction in January 2024, allowing the game to return to the platform in June.
The ruling highlights that while Ironmace did not violate copyright law, it found its way into legal trouble for infringing on Nexon’s trade secrets. Nexon deems the verdict “meaningful” and plans to seek further legal actions through higher courts. Ironmace, despite the ongoing litigation, reports a healthy player base on Steam.
