PC bang operators have taken legal action against Riot Games Korea, which warned it would block in-store game access at shops that canceled paid franchise plans.
According to the gaming industry on the 18th, the Korea Internet PC Cafe Cooperative filed for an injunction to prohibit interference against Riot Games Korea at the Seoul Central District Court the same day.
Riot signaled measures to block IP addresses or restrict gameplay for proprietors who disabled the "premium PC bang service," and the filing seeks to halt those actions.
Since 2011, domestic PC bang owners have signed contracts with Riot for the premium PC bang service and have provided franchise PC bang users with various perks in League of Legends and VALORANT, including characters and skins.
The dispute began in Nov. last year when Riot notified operators it would raise the premium PC bang service fee about 15%, from 233 won to 269 won per hour. The cooperative pushed back, and after negotiations with Riot, they reached an agreement in Mar. to expand franchise PC bang benefits.
However, the conflict resurfaced after Riot on the 6th issued a notice to PC bang owners stating, in effect, that "games cannot be used at PC bangs not using Riot services."
The cooperative argues that because League of Legends and VALORANT are games anyone can play for free, Riot should not block game access itself solely because the premium PC bang service subscription was discontinued. It also views Riot's measures as an abuse of a market-dominant position and an unfair trade practice under the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act.
According to Gametrics, League of Legends and VALORANT rank No. 1 and No. 2 in domestic PC bang market share, and together account for about 43%.
Riot, for its part, says the measures are justified. While individual users can enjoy the games for free at home, when a PC bang owner offers the games commercially on the premises, they must pay the copyright holder fair compensation for use, as with music, video, and software, it said.