Bungie Settles Copyright Lawsuit for Destiny 2

A lawsuit between Bungie and writer Matthew Martineau has been settled. The case, which revolved around possible copyright violations of Destiny 2 from Martineau’s work, has been going on for around a year.

Destiny 2 is one of Bungie’s biggest and most recent games, released in 2017. With several expansions, the free-to-play title is still going somewhat strong. However, last year, a writer named Matthew Martineau filed a lawsuit against Bungie for possible copyright infringement. His claim was that the company stole various narrative elements from his work for the Red Legion plot and The Curse of Osiris expansion. Surprisingly, the case survived Bungie’s dismissal and was on its way to court. Now, it seems it has been settled and over with.

Bungie and Matthew Martineau Settle Destiny 2 Copyright Lawsuit

Obtained by The Game Post, the lawsuit between Bungie and Matthew Martineau has been settled. The case has been dismissed and will not go to court. In a statement from the court filing, it says,

“The court having been advised that all parties have firmly agreed upon a compromise in this matter; it is ordered that this action be and is hereby dismissed as to all parties, without costs and without prejudice to the right, upon good cause shown, within sixty days, to reopen the action if the settlement is not consummated,” the order reads. “In addition, the court specifically retains jurisdiction to enforce the settlement agreement if settlement is not consummated within sixty days.”

However, if the settlement is not completed in 60 days, the case will go to trial. As it stands, though, a compromise has been made, and no legal action will occur. Without speculation, a settlement usually means both parties are at fault.

While the claims made by Matthew Martineau do seem a bit much, Bungie isn’t a stranger to copyright infringements. During the alpha of Marathon, the company was caught stealing assets from artist ANTIREAL for several designs. After the controversy, the game was delayed and has yet to be released. 

What do you think about Bungie v Martineau being settled? Do you think Bungie is at fault? What’s your take on the case? Let us know in the comments and on the official Insider Gaming Discord.

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For more Bungie, check out our articles on the CEO stepping down and integration into PlayStation. Don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter!