ZeniMax Files Suit Against Samsung Over Oculus Collaboration

The suit says Samsung has code in its Gear VR that it gained from Oculus, but it was actually ZeniMax property.

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ZeniMax's legal wranglings over VR code and proprietary rights continues. First it took Oculus to court and won $500 million, and now it is looking to extract a pound of code from Samsung as well over its collaboration with Oculus on the Gear VR.

The suit, filed in the Northern District of Texas (via GameInformer), alleges that Samsung "has used, and continues to utilize, ZeniMax’s VR technology (or derivatives thereof) that was misappropriated by Oculus (now owned by Facebook) in its Samsung Gear VR which continues to be 'powered by Oculus.'"

Last year, ZeniMax subpoenaed records from Samsung related to the source code it used for Gear VR acquired in the group-think with Oculus. Obviously the subpoenas gathered in something interesting in ZeniMax is willing to go to court again. And given that a ruling is already out there against Oculus, this could spell trouble for Gear VR. An adverse decision could not only mean millions in damages, but an injunction to halt any more sales of Gear VR until the offending code is removed.

For its part, Oculus isn't going down without a fight as it has filed a motion for a new trial against ZeniMax, alleging "unreliable and prejudicial expert testimony" and "irreconcilably inconsistent" jury verdicts.

Here's the first page of the suit:

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