Poppy Playtime faces Google over its distribution policy

Mob Entertainment, the studio behind the popular horror game Poppy Playtime, has filed a lawsuit against Google for allowing the distribution of unauthorized games that infringe on its intellectual property.

The problem: unofficial versions of their games

The lawsuit, filed earlier this week, specifically mentions the unofficial versions of Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 and Poppy Playtime Chapter 4, created by an entity known as Daigo. These titles, which falsely claim to be new episodes of the game, remain available on the Google Play store, despite multiple removal requests submitted by Mob Entertainment.

The controversy revolves around the episodic nature of Poppy Playtime. Mob Entertainment argues that allowing these illegitimate versions to use their brand and be promoted as new chapters misleads consumers, especially children, who may end up spending money on products that are not authentic. Furthermore, the lawsuit points out that the developers of these fake games are illegally using images and screenshots from Poppy Playtime 2, which further exacerbates the issue of consumer confusion.

According to the lawsuit, despite Google temporarily removing unauthorized versions in December, they quickly reappeared in the store. Mob Entertainment claims that Google benefits from these illegitimate sales by receiving a percentage of the transactions, which raises serious questions about its responsibility in protecting copyright. The lawsuit suggests that the fake games, which feature many grammatical errors and unattractive design, have damaged Mob Entertainment’s reputation.

So far, Google has not issued a public response to the lawsuit. The situation highlights the need for greater oversight in the app store to protect consumers and the intellectual properties of video game developers.

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