Cheat Maker Lavicheat has lost its case against Bungie as they simply refused to show up for their court appearance.
Once again, Bungie has emerged victorious in a legal battle against those who sell cheats. The cheat sellers were held responsible for their absence from the court during the scheduled hearing and were found guilty.
The most recent lawsuit involved Lavicheats.com, and the legal proceedings began in 2021. Since Lavicheats did not attend the scheduled court hearing, Bungie was awarded $6.7 million as a consequence of the lawsuit.
Kunal Bansal the India-based company behind Lavicheats will now owe Bungie for various violations, damages, and attorney fees.
The total amount is $6,700,973.34, and it has been divided into several categories:
- $5,580,000 for violations of the DMCA
- $300,000 for violations of the Copyright Act
- $579,270 for violations of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C.
- $241,703.34 in attorney fees and in costs
The website Lavicheats offers subscription-based hacks and cheats for a wide range of games, including Apex Legends, Elden Ring, Valorant, and others.
Bansal was granted a default judgment because they chose not to participate in the legal proceedings.
However, the verdict indicates that even if Bansal had actively contested the case, he likely would have been unsuccessful.
The judge ruled in favor of Bungie on all grounds, including DMCA violations, copyright and trademark infringements. A Consumer Protection Act claim, and even a charge of “tortious interference with contractual relationship.”
Additionally, the judge stated that there was little doubt about the central, crucial facts of the case and observed that Bansal’s failure to appear was not due to any reasonable excuse but instead, a deliberate decision to disregard the matter entirely.
In addition to the financial award, Bungie also secured a court order prohibiting Bansal from creating, promoting, or selling cheats for Destiny 2. The ruling also requires Bansal to cease any online platforms or social media accounts that he may have used to advertise or sell such cheats.
Lavicheats has since ceased to sell Destiny 2 cheats however the store page is still up.
Do you think that the recent legal victories for Bungie against cheat sellers will discourage them from continuing to sell cheats online. Given that Bungie and similar companies are unwilling to tolerate such behavior?