Complete Victory in Arbitration for Damages Arising from Breach of Game Copyright License Agreement

Lee & Ko represented Shanghai Kaiying Network Technology Co., Ltd. (“Kingnet”) in an ICC arbitration concerning a claim for damages arising from the breach of a game copyright licensing agreement brought against Wemade, securing a full award in favor of Kingnet.

The subject of the dispute, the Legend of Mir series, which is co-owned by Wemade and Actoz Soft, is one of the most successful games in both Korea and China. In 2016, Kingnet entered into a licensing agreement for the development and distribution of the game in China. However, immediately following the execution of the agreement, litigation commenced between Wemade and Actoz Soft in China, which effectively prevented Kingnet from exercising its contractual rights.

As a result, Kingnet initiated arbitration proceedings against Wemade, seeking damages for breach of contract. Based on an in-depth analysis of the relevant legal principles under Korean and Chinese copyright law, Lee & Ko successfully established Wemade’s liability for the breach. The ICC Tribunal accepted all of Kingnet’s claims and awarded approximately KRW 70 billion in damages.

The dispute over the Legend of Mir IP has consistently attracted attention in both Korea and China, and this arbitral award received significant media coverage. Lee & Ko acted as sole counsel in this arbitration, and the case stands as a representative example of the firm’s capability and expertise in independently handling large-scale international disputes.