Sony Rejects Tencent's Defence of Alleged Horizon Zero Dawn Knockoff, Light of Motiram, Claiming Irreparable Damage

Sony has countered Tencent's latest response to the copyright lawsuit over Horizon Zero Dawn, labelling it as 'baseless' and asserting that 'the harm has been done and persists'. Sony accuses Tencent of attempting to replicate the 'appearance, sound, characters, and narrative' of the Horizon series, including hiring the composer for Horizon Forbidden West, and infringing not only on the character Aloy but also on her status as a symbol for the PlayStation brand. The lawsuit, filed in July, sought a jury trial for copyright and trademark infringement to halt the imminent release of Light of Motiram, which Sony claimed was 'blatantly copying' Horizon's lead character Aloy. Following the lawsuit, Tencent made several alterations to Light of Motiram's Steam page and promotional materials. Tencent recently disputed Sony's claims, stating that Light of Motiram merely utilises 'time-honored' genre elements that are not exclusive to Sony. Sony now refutes Tencent's claim that the lawsuit is premature due to the delayed release of Light of Motiram, calling the game a 'knockoff' for which Tencent has refused to accept responsibility. Sony also accused Tencent of creating a complex corporate structure to avoid liability, while still maintaining control over its subsidiaries. Furthermore, Sony derided Tencent's attempt to 'leverage the goodwill and reputation' of Aloy's character, stating that the similarities between Aloy and the character in Light of Motiram are 'so blatant' that they have been widely noted by journalists and fans. Sony concludes by requesting the court to deny Tencent's motion to dismiss the case.