Aristocrat and Light & Wonder Settle Litigation
Settlement brings long-running intellectual property dispute to a close.
Aristocrat Leisure and Light & Wonder have reached an agreement to settle all pending litigation between the two companies in Australia and the United States, bringing an end to a long-running dispute over alleged misuse of intellectual property.
The legal action centred on the development and launch of Light & Wonder’s Dragon Train slot game, which Aristocrat claimed had been created using its proprietary mathematical models and copyrighted materials. Similar allegations were later made in relation to Light & Wonder’s Jewel of the Dragon title.
While the full commercial terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, Light & Wonder has acknowledged that certain Aristocrat mathematical information was used in connection with the development of both games. As part of the agreement, Light & Wonder will pay Aristocrat US$127.5 million in compensation.
Light & Wonder has also agreed to permanently cease the global commercialisation of Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon, make best efforts to remove existing installations, and confirm that no further use will be made of the Aristocrat intellectual property at issue in the case.
Following the settlement, all claims brought by Aristocrat against Light & Wonder in both jurisdictions will be dismissed.
Aristocrat chief executive officer Trevor Croker said the company supports fair competition but will always act decisively to protect its intellectual property, describing the outcome as a positive resolution that safeguards the work of its creative and technical teams.
Light & Wonder chief executive officer Matt Wilson said the company was pleased to resolve the matter and move forward, explaining that the issue arose from the actions of a former employee acting in breach of company policies. He added that strengthened internal processes have since been introduced to prevent similar situations in the future.
The settlement allows both companies to close the chapter on the dispute and refocus on product development and long-term growth without further legal distraction.
