Chinese rip-offs of cult videogame could start trade war in $38 bn industry

WeMade struck gold about 20 years ago when it released Legend of Mir through Shanda Games in China, getting as many as 200 million people to sign up at one point

In The Legend of Mir, warriors and sorcerers battle creatures from an ancient universe. Now, WeMade Co.’s long-time videogame hit is at the center of a string of legal battles that could serve as a rallying cry for foreign companies harboring grievances against Chinese rivals.

Over the last three years, the South Korean studio’s chief executive officer, Henry Chang, has filed about 65 lawsuits in China, Singapore and South Korea against Chinese gaming studios, attempting to block what he alleges are unlicensed versions of his two-decade-old title.

That makes the 44-year-old one of the few foreign executives audacious enough to