Nexon claimed that Ironmace created 'Dark and Darker' by illegally using internal data from 'Project P3' under development, but the court did not recognize copyright infringement. However, it sided with Nexon on trade secret infringement, ordering Ironmace to pay 8.5 billion won in damages.
The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 63, led by Director General Park Chan-seok, ruled on the 13th that 'Dark and Darker' does not infringe on Nexon's copyright for 'Project P3' dated June 30, 2021, in a lawsuit filed by Nexon Korea against Ironmace seeking a prohibition on trade secret and copyright infringement.
This lawsuit was filed by Nexon against Ironmace in August 2021 and concluded with a first-instance ruling after about four years.
However, the court acknowledged Ironmace's responsibility for trade secret infringement caused by the project leak to Nexon. Accordingly, Ironmace must compensate Nexon 8.5 billion won, of which 1 billion won is to be paid starting in March 2024, and the remaining 7.5 billion won must incur an additional 12% delay damages until fully paid starting in June 2024.
Nexon has continued legal action, claiming that Choi, who oversaw the development of 'Project P3' in its new development division, leaked source code and data to a personal server and then established Ironmace to develop 'Dark and Darker.' However, the court determined that this matter did not constitute copyright infringement.