Codemasters Takes Legal Action Over Poached Staff
Publisher claims actions of rival company has had negative impact.
No sooner had Codemasters announced a proud new addition to its management team - from Sony Computer Entertainment no less - than it's accusing a rival racing developer of poaching its own staff.
Playground Games has allegedly been lifting key employees from the DiRT publisher and obtaining access to confidential trade secrets that is resulting in a 12 month headstart on the development and marketing of rival products.
Codemasters argues, in a writ submitted to a High Court, that these actions have impacted its own racing game development cycle, and is seeking damages and/or a share of any profits made in relation to Playground's activity.
Highlighting 15 employees, including Playground co-founder and former Codemasters chief executive Nicholas Wheelwright, Codemasters told the Daily Mail that "Those employees constituted a ready-made top-rate racing games development team. Between them they had some 100 years of experience in creating, developing and producing first-class computer racing games."
Playground Games has allegedly been lifting key employees from the DiRT publisher and obtaining access to confidential trade secrets that is resulting in a 12 month headstart on the development and marketing of rival products.
Codemasters argues, in a writ submitted to a High Court, that these actions have impacted its own racing game development cycle, and is seeking damages and/or a share of any profits made in relation to Playground's activity.
Highlighting 15 employees, including Playground co-founder and former Codemasters chief executive Nicholas Wheelwright, Codemasters told the Daily Mail that "Those employees constituted a ready-made top-rate racing games development team. Between them they had some 100 years of experience in creating, developing and producing first-class computer racing games."
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Codemasters