GREE is again preparing to take legal action against DeNA, following a lawsuit from September 2009 (when GREE accused its competitor of copying one of their hit games). This time, GREE says DeNA is blocking access to games made by third-party developers.
The accusation isn’t really new: in December 2010, authorities raided DeNA’s office in Tokyo, following reports that the company has pressured Japanese social game developers to release titles exclusively on Mobage. In June, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) issued a cease and desist order in that matter.
According to The Nikkei, GREE and other companies in the Japanese social gaming industry are now ready to file a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court next month. The companies are said to seek damages totaling “several billion yen” (one billion yen converts to US$13 million currently).
