Tencent has entered the legal dispute with Sony regarding the game Horizon, arguing that simply being well-known doesn’t automatically grant trademark rights, specifically in relation to the character Aloy.
Tencent, a major gaming company, is facing legal trouble from Sony. Sony claims Tencent’s new game, Light of Motiram, illegally copies elements from the popular Horizon series, calling it a clear imitation. They’ve asked a court to block the game’s release. Tencent is fighting back, arguing the court doesn’t have the authority to rule against them and that Sony hasn’t clearly defined which trademarks were actually violated.
Tencent Holdings was not part of the San Francisco meeting with Sony, nor was it involved in the Marketing of Light of Motiram in the US
As GamesRadar+ noted, Tencent’s initial legal response mirrors past strategies, arguing that Sony filed the lawsuit against the incorrect parties. Tencent claims Sony hasn’t proven any deliberate wrongdoing, explaining that no Tencent employees attended the meeting in San Francisco last March, and that Tencent didn’t intentionally plan or allow any infringing actions to occur.
Okay, so I’ve been following this whole thing with ‘Light of Motiram,’ and basically Tencent says they only registered the trademark to keep things tidy with their international trademarks – just admin stuff, you know? They’re saying they had nothing to do with actually marketing the game. And Sony hasn’t really proven that Tencent registered it on purpose to try and build up a huge player base here. It seems like they’re saying it wasn’t about getting a ton of people playing, just trademark housekeeping.
Sony has expressed frustration with having to follow legal procedures to notify the parties believed to be involved in the case. However, they argue this doesn’t justify allowing a weak lawsuit against defendants who weren’t actually responsible for the alleged wrongdoing.
Sony Fails to Sufficiently Identify its Purported Trademark and the Alleged Use of the Aloy Character in Commerce
Tencent argues that Sony hasn’t clearly defined its trademark in the Horizon clone lawsuit. Specifically, Tencent points out that Sony refers to its trademark as simply “the Aloy character” without detailing its specific appearance. Instead of a precise description, Sony claims that gamers generally recognize the mark, which Tencent says isn’t enough.
The company acknowledged players likely know Aloy as a character within the game, but Sony hasn’t been able to establish her visual design as a protected trademark. While Aloy is defined by her clothing, accessories, and facial paint, these general features aren’t specific enough to qualify as a trademark.
In response to claims that they used the Aloy character for commercial purposes, Tencent argued in the Horizon lawsuit that simply being well-known doesn’t qualify something as a trademark. They stated a trademark must clearly identify the source of a specific product or service. According to court documents, Sony hasn’t proven that Aloy’s character functions as a unique identifier in commerce, explaining that as a playable character, she would naturally appear within the game’s content.
Just because Aloy is featured prominently doesn’t make her the defining element of the game any more than other key aspects like the robotic creatures or the post-apocalyptic setting – all of which are highlighted in the game’s advertising.
Sony has already addressed Tencent’s initial legal arguments, claiming Tencent tried to evade responsibility by obscuring ownership through its various brands and companies. Sony pointed out that Tencent reports all game revenue and debt as a whole, rather than breaking it down by subsidiary, and promotes its games—such as Light of Motiram—under the Tencent name without clarifying which part of the company is responsible.
Sony is suing a company over their Horizon clone, and Tencent recently argued that simply being well-known doesn’t automatically give a company trademark rights. What do you think about that? Share your opinions in the comments, and feel free to join the TopMob Discord server to discuss it further.
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2025-10-30 18:18