The longstanding copyright battle between Aristocrat and Light and Wonder has a new twist, as a Nevada Court ruled that Light and Wonder must divulge details regarding games released after 2021.
The motion for discovery was originally dismissed in June. However, after Aristocrat narrowed the scope of its demands, the request has now been granted.
Whilst declining to comment on pending litigation, Aristocrat has vowed to aggressively defend its IP.
Meanwhile, Light and Wonder expressed ‘disappointment’ at the court’s decision to grant the motion, which is focused on hold and win games released by Light and Wonder since 2021.
The timeline of the discovery period coincides with when the former Aristocrat employee Emma Charles joined Light and Wonder.
Aristocrat’s issue with Light and Wonder centres around allegations that Charles tapped into previous experience with the development of Aristocrat’s Dragon Link casino game to help produce a similar title for Light and Wonder called Dragon Train.
Last September, the US District Court of Nevada granted Aristocrat a preliminary injunction and ordered the removal of Dragon Train gaming machines in North America.
Charles parted company with Light and Wonder following the decision, and the game was pulled from casino floors. Light and Wonder has since pulled a second game, Jewel of the Dragon, following an amendment to Aristocrat’s complaint.
While emphasising its disappointment in the recent change of heart from the Nevada court, Light and Wonder also expressed optimism regarding the results of the impending discovery period.
“We remain confident, based on the expert review we previously disclosed, that there is no evidence of Aristocrat math being used in any commercially released games other than Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon,” said the company in a statement.
This latest decision underlines that the legal wranglings that began in March 2024 appear to have a long way to go before any final decision is made in either company’s favour. With the case now moving forward, the trial is set for later next year.
Slotbeats has reached out to Light and Wonder for further comment.