Nexon Wins Partial Supreme Court Victory Against Ironmace in Trade Secret Misappropriation Case
Nexon secured a partial Supreme Court victory, ordering Ironmace and its former executives to pay ₩5.76 billion in damages for trade secret misappropriation.Summary
Nexon achieved a partial victory in its trade secret lawsuit against Ironmace at the Supreme Court, resulting in a ₩5.76 billion damages award. The court classified core game development materials, including source code and build files for Nexon's unreleased 'P3' project, as protected trade secrets. Ironmace, founded by former Nexon developer Choi, was held liable for misappropriating these assets after Choi leaked data to a personal server before leaving Nexon. While the court dismissed Nexon's copyright infringement claims due to lack of substantial similarity, it extended trade secret protection to two and a half years post-resignation, broadening the scope of protected materials. Nexon emphasized that this ruling reinforces the protection of company assets and will influence ongoing criminal proceedings against Choi.
(Source：Inven Global)