The developer Bungie is involved in yet another legal controversy, this time accused of plagiarism by the American writer Kelsey Martineau. The author filed a lawsuit alleging that the Red War campaign in Destiny 2 bears similarities to a work published between 2013 and 2014. Martineau claims that several narrative elements and characters were copied directly from his texts, released under the pseudonym Caspar Cole.
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Martineau points out in the lawsuit that his work features a faction called "Red Legion" and narrates events similar to those in the Destiny 2 campaign. He accuses Bungie of using his ideas without permission, pointing to the character Yinnerah, who is similar to the main villain of Red War, Dominus Ghaul. The Red War campaign was released as an initial part of Destiny 2, but is currently unavailable because Bungie "archived" it to make room for more recent content.
The story behind the plagiarism accusation
Kelsey Martineau's claims draw attention to an important discussion about copyright in the world of digital games. The author states that both the characters and plots of his work and the Red War campaign share clear similarities. In both stories, there are rebel groups led by rejected mentors who fight against oppressive forces and aim to invade Earth.
According to the lawsuit, Martineau alleges that Bungie deliberately and intentionally violated his copyright. Martineau claims that what happened with Red War goes beyond mere coincidence, pointing to a direct copy of fundamental elements of his story.
Previous accusations against Bungie
The current situation is not the first time Bungie has faced an accusation of plagiarism. Furthermore, the company recently faced accusations of copying the design of a toy inspired by its game. In that case, Bungie acknowledged the error and resolved the matter amicably, financially compensating the accuser.
However, the current lawsuit related to Destiny 2 appears to be more complex. Martineau seeks, in addition to compensation, an accounting of all profits obtained by Bungie through the Red War campaign and any associated products or services that may infringe his copyrights. However, the developer has not yet officially commented on the lawsuit.
