The dispute at Playdead has become public with a co-founder seeking $73,000 over the alleged use of a "copyright protected image" on LinkedIn
Dino Patti, who co-founded Playdead, faces potential legal action after sharing a LinkedIn post featuring an "unauthorized" image of Arnt Jensen, his fellow co-founder.
Patti, who parted ways with Playdead in 2016, made headlines in 2017 following revelations of a dispute between him and the company's creative head, Jensen, as reported by a Danish outlet.
On March 3, Patti referred to Jensen's legal demand for over $73,000 in a "legal love letter." This was not an isolated incident, according to Patti, who said he has faced similar legal actions multiple times over nine years.
The letter from Playdead cautioned Patti against using or disclosing confidential Playdead information or assets for business purposes, labeling such actions as breaches of confidentiality and loyalty obligations.
Playdead also stated that Patti was misrepresenting his involvement in the game "Limbo," implying a creative role he did not hold, misleading industry partners.
Patti described the litigation threat as stemming from his use, months prior, of a publicly accessible image from "Limbo" in a LinkedIn post. He shared his thoughts on the matter, declaring his intention to be transparent: "Arnt, last time you tried to bully me, I told you I'd make it public. So here we go."
He further elaborated on his own contributions to Playdead, asserting that the company wouldn't have existed without his involvement, while still acknowledging Jensen's talent.
In a statement to Game Developer, Playdead emphasized their legal actions were to safeguard their trademarks and copyrights, which they consider vital to their business integrity.