Lawsuit says God of War infringes on author's copyright
GamePolitics has learned that SCEA and David Jaffe have both been sued in the US District Court in California for alleged copyright infringement over the God of War franchise. The suit was filed in February by Jonathan Bissoon-Dath, "the author of a series of related works of fiction, including Olympiad," and Jennifer Barrette-Herzog, creator of Island at the Edge of the Living World. The two allege that they sent their work to Sony Pictures in 2002. They note that God of War shipped on PS2 in 2005, and David Jaffe said that the game took three years to develop.
The plaintiffs allege that God of War share many similarities in plot, character relationships, themes, setting, mood, etc. "Plaintiff's works tell the original story of how a champion saves Athens from destruction by the invading Spartan army that has been sent by Ares ... [God of War] is the story of how a champion chosen by Zeus and Athens saves Athens from destruction by an invading army sent by Ares ..."
With Greek mythology so widely read and known, it isn't surprising that remarkable similarities can appear between various pieces of fiction. SCEA responded to the allegations, calling them "inaccurate, incomplete, abstracted and/or misleading." Both SCEA and Jaffe have requested the case to be dismissed, and to be reimbursed for the legal costs associated with defending themselves.
