Jakks Pacific today announced that it would seek a renewal of its WWE video game license, which is a joint venture with THQ, until December 31, 2014. THQ, however, objects to the move and has launched a lawsuit in California Superior Court.
THQ says that Jakks was not authorized to make a unilateral renewal and that it has no obligation to bow to such a wish. The publisher also is asking the court to deem a covenant restriction in the joint venture, which prevents THQ from publishing a wrestling game for one year after the WWE license expires, as unenforceable under California law. THQ and Jakks have already started arbitration over these issues. The WWE license is set to expire at the end of this year.
The WWE license is huge, so it doesn't surprise us that THQ wants to potentially have it to themselves.
2 Comments
July 1, 2009
Didn't know it was a joint venture. Will be interesting to see how this plays out in the courts, along with the whole Duke Nukem Forever thing and your man's lawsuit against Sony for the whole vibrating controller technology thing. Is that all the lawsuits so far that's going on in the game industry? Can't remember, seems that there are a lot of these lately. The recession may be bringing a lot of people down, but it doesn't stop lawyers getting rich and people suing each other for all their worth, considerably a lot less now due to the economy.
July 2, 2009
With Jakks Pacific losing the license to make WWE action figures (Mattel will soon have that license), why would they have any say? Does Jakks Pacific even do anything for the WWE video games other than just put their logo on it?
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