The Story Behind Korea’s Laws: Your Guide to Korea’s Legal Pulse
SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean appeals court has sided with game developer NCSOFT in a lawsuit filed by a Lineage M player who refused to share valuable in-game items obtained through joint play, ruling that the company’s action to confiscate the items and suspend the user’s account was justified.
The Seoul High Court on Thursday upheld a lower court’s decision rejecting the lawsuit brought by the player, identified only as A, who had claimed that NCSOFT’s user agreement was invalid.
According to court documents, A took part in a 2023 Lineage M event that offered a prize worth about 100 million won (roughly US$74,000) for defeating a specific in-game character. A obtained the item through a joint battle with guild members but left the guild immediately afterward to avoid sharing the reward.
Such conduct, while not explicitly prohibited by law, violated the shared-play norms that are customary in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).
The photo shows the scene from the Lineage 2M Southeast Asia showcase. (Photo provided by NCSOFT)
After the guild complained, NCSOFT suspended A’s account for one week and retrieved the disputed item, redistributing it to the guild. A then sued, arguing that the company had no contractual right to interfere with in-game items or impose penalties without a prior agreement among guild members.
The court disagreed, finding that NCSOFT’s user terms clearly authorize the company to act when players gain unfair advantages or violate cooperative gameplay rules.
The appellate panel said the company’s response “was consistent with the terms and purpose of fair play within the game environment,” affirming the earlier ruling.
Jerry M. Kim (jerry_kim@koreabizwire.com)
