China's online gaming industry has emerged as a global leader, with its pace of international expansion accelerating. Over the past decade of rapid development, innovation in the gaming sector has continuously driven breakthroughs in gameplay and mechanics. However, disputes over imitation and plagiarism have become increasingly prominent, leading to frequent high-profile legal cases related to game infringement, which have garnered widespread attention both within and outside the industry.
Recently, to help gaming companies better understand and navigate the boundaries of infringement in game development, as well as to address risks and legal liabilities, Llinks, in collaboration with the Shenzhen Internet Culture Market Association, successfully held an exchange session titled "The Boundary Between 'Imitation' and 'Plagiarism' in Game Development" and "Interpretation of the Online Game Litigation Blue Book" on May 22, 2025, at its Shenzhen office. The event was attended by Mr. Bowen Zhao, head of the association, and representatives from Shenzhen-based gaming companies.
During the session, Llinks partners Mr. James Wang and Mr. Denny Jiang from gaming legal services team provided an in-depth analysis of 156 copyright and gameplay litigation cases in China's online gaming industry over the past decade (2014–2024), based on their meticulously compiled 10-Year Online Game Litigation Blue Book. By distilling 48 key points, they offered a detailed interpretation of how courts define "originality," "reasonable imitation," and "infringement," as well as the determination of infringement liabilities. Their insights resonated strongly with the attending company representatives, sparking lively discussions and exchanges on the challenges and dilemmas faced during game development.
Llinks' gaming legal services team will continue to monitor judicial practices and trends in the gaming industry, providing professional support to gaming companies in copyright compliance and rights protection.
