The high-stakes copyright clash between tech giant Tencent and entertainment titan Sony continues to escalate, with Tencent now deploying a surprising new ally in its defense: Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse.
In a recent court filing, Tencent Holdings has fired its latest volley in an ongoing legal battle with Sony Interactive Entertainment, vigorously defending its upcoming game Light of Motiram against allegations that it infringes on Sony’s Horizon franchise. The move represents a significant hardening of Tencent’s legal posture as it seeks to have the case thrown out entirely.
The dispute, which has been closely watched by the gaming industry for its potential implications on copyright and "genre conventions," now hinges on a novel argument about what exactly constitutes a trademark for a fictional character.
The Core of the Conflict: A Case "Not Ripe" for Adjudication
In documents filed on October 29 in the U.S. District Court, Tencent’s legal team presented a multi-pronged argument to Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley. Their primary contention is that Sony’s lawsuit is fundamentally premature.
Tencent asserts that the complaint is based on “future conduct that has not and may never occur,” rendering the case “unripe for adjudication.” They elaborate that “the lawsuit was brought against the wrong parties, long before many of the purported acts of infringement have even occurred,” and specifically deny that any “Tencent Holdings employees or executives attended the March 2024 San Francisco pitch meeting” where the game was allegedly presented to Sony.
This builds on Tencent’s earlier defense, where it accused Sony of seeking an “impermissible monopoly on genre conventions,” pointing to other games with prehistoric or post-apocalyptic settings like Far Cry Primal and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Sony previously dismissed this argument as “nonsense” and accused Tencent of operating a “shell game” through its subsidiaries to obscure its involvement.
Beyond the Game: Can a Character's Appearance Be a Trademark?
The most striking part of Tencent’s new filing is its direct challenge to Sony’s trademark claim concerning the appearance of Aloy, the red-haired heroine of the Horizon series.
Tencent’s legal team makes a critical distinction between a character's fame and its legal status as a trademark. They argue, “Fame does not create a trademark; to qualify as a trademark, a mark must serve as a source identifier for a particular good or service.”
In other words, while gamers worldwide recognize Aloy within the context of her games, Tencent claims Sony has failed to legally establish that Aloy’s specific appearance functions as a trademark outside of the games themselves. This is where Mickey Mouse enters the courtroom.
The Mickey Mouse Precedent: A Masterclass in Trademark Strategy
In a move legal experts are calling a "brilliantly illustrative" defense, Tencent cited The Walt Disney Company’s handling of its most famous character to dismantle Sony’s claims.
Tencent’s filing argues: “Whether or not Mickey Mouse is recognizable as a single character within a movie about Mickey Mouse does not establish that Mickey Mouse can alter his appearance and still function as a single trademark… Indeed, Disney itself…has, over the years, applied to register various trademarks with different Mickey Mouse appearances.”
The point is clear: Disney doesn’t own a single, monolithic trademark on "Mickey Mouse." Instead, it has meticulously registered specific, consistent depictions of the character for different uses—from the classic steamboat captain to the modern, simplified Sorcerer's Apprentice.
Tencent contends that Sony has failed to do the same for Aloy, offering what it calls a “vague description and varying depictions” that “cannot serve as a basis [for a trademark].” The filing concludes, “Characters only become trademarks when they are used in a consistent, identifiable manner as a source identifier…beyond their role as a game character.”
A Delayed Hearing and a Toned-Down Aesthetic
As the legal arguments fly, the case's timeline has shifted. The crucial injunction hearing, where Sony will ask the court to formally halt Light of Motiram’s development and release, has been postponed. Originally set for late 2025, it is now scheduled for January 15, 2026, due to prior commitments from Sony’s legal team and the District Judge’s schedule.
This delay provides Tencent with more breathing room, though the lawsuit’s shadow is already influencing the game’s public face. Observant fans have noted that the Steam page for Light of Motiram now features noticeably toned-down artwork, with much of it being modified after Sony initially filed its lawsuit, suggesting a conscious effort by Tencent to distance the game’s visual identity from that of Horizon.
The stage is now set for a protracted legal war that could redefine the boundaries of character copyright in video games. By invoking the legendary legal fortress that is Mickey Mouse, Tencent isn’t just defending a single game—it’s challenging the very framework Sony is using to protect one of its most valuable heroes.
Experience the game at the heart of the lawsuit.
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