NetEase’s Lawsuit Against Blizzard Was Apparently Just A Clerical Error
In a bizarre turn of events, a story about a $43 million lawsuit filed by NetEase against Blizzard in a Shanghai court was recently found to have been a filing error all along. It all started when a legitimate Chinese financial website reported on the case, but it turns out that the information provided by financial website Sina Technology was not entirely reliable.
Blizzard denied receiving any lawsuit and asserted that it has not violated any licensing agreements. “These continuous behaviors make us feel disappointed and confused,” the company said in a statement.
Further investigation revealed that the actual plaintiff was a disgruntled gamer named Yang Jun, who was suing both Blizzard and NetEase's predecessor, The9, over refunds. The lawsuit had been listed as “NetEase and Yang Jun,” which may have led to the initial confusion.
The filing was quickly amended to remove NetEase's name as a plaintiff. However, it's still unclear why the Chinese media reported that the lawsuit was about prepayments, deposits, and licensing agreements, as Yang Jun would not have been entitled to claim funds for any of these.
The drama between NetEase and Blizzard seems to have de-escalated for now, except for the ongoing lawsuit from Yang Jun. It remains to be seen whether he will be successful in his claim for $43 million in damages, but it's safe to say that this lawsuit has been anything but straightforward.
