In a recent patent infringement case, Skillz, the mobile game platform, emerged victorious with a $42.9 million award. The opposing party in the lawsuit was AviaGames, a competitor, which is also reported to be under a criminal investigation related to accusations of deploying bots.
Delivered by a federal jury in California, the verdict came down on Friday and it highlighted just how high stakes have risen in the rapidly expanding mobile gaming industry. Legal battles over intellectual property are proving to be extremely costly, placing a premium on the defense of patents and technological innovations.
A key element in this saga is the claim that AviaGames made use of bots, effectively automated programmes that carry out tasks at a much higher rate than humans could manage. The criminal probe on this matter is still ongoing, suggesting serious implications not just for AviaGames but the broader gaming industry as well.
For more details on the story, you can read the report
here.