Case 4:17-cv-07025-SBA Document 102 Filed 12/27/18 Page 1 of 20
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 3
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 4
OAKLAND DIVISION 5 6
STARDOCK SYSTEMS, INC.,
Case No: C 17-07025 SBA
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Plaintiff, 8
ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
vs. Dkt. 56
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PAUL REICHE III and ROBERT 10 FREDERICK FORD, 11
Defendants.
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AND RELATED COUNTERCLAIM. 13 14
This is a copyright action between Plaintiff and Counter-Defendant Stardock
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Systems, Inc. (“Stardock” or “Plaintiff”), Defendants and Counter-Claimants Paul Reiche
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III (“Reiche”) and Robert Frederick Ford (“Ford”) (collectively “Defendants”), and
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Counter-Defendants GOG Limited and GOG Poland sp. z.o.o (“GOG”) and Valve
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Corporation d/b/a Steam (“Valve”) (collectively “Counter-Defendants”), regarding a
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videogame franchise known as “Star Control.”
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Reiche and Ford created the concept for Star Control, and, in partnership with
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Accolade, Inc. (“Accolade”), developed and published a trilogy of videogames under that
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name in the 1990s. Pursuant to the written agreement of those parties, the intellectual
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property (“IP”) rights in Star Control were divided, such that Reiche and Ford held some of
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the rights and Accolade held others. In 2013, Stardock acquired Accolade’s rights in the
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Star Control IP and began developing a new game titled Star Control: Origins (“Origins”).
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Reiche and Ford contend that Origins (as well as promotional content associated therewith)
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infringes upon their rights in the Star Control IP. Stardock disputes the validity of Reiche
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and Ford’s claim to ownership of any Star Control IP.