A US Court of Appeals judge has upheld a lower court’s call regarding the legal battle between Silicon Knights and Epic Games. The post-trial motions for the previous ruling ordered Silicon Knights to destroy all unsold copies of their games that used Unreal Engine 3, which included Too Human and X-Men: Destiny. Epic was additionally awarded over $9 million in the ruling – $4.45 million for damages, with the remainder covering the studio’s legal fees and judgment interest.
The dispute began back in 2007, when Silicon Knights claimed Epic delivered Unreal Engine 3 six months late while withholding a superior version simply to be used for Epic’s internal projects. Epic Games VP Mark Rein described the allegations as “unfounded and without knowledge,” noting Epic’s intention to defend themselves.
Silicon Knights’ ability to pay the sentence is currently unsure, because the studio followed the initial ruling by laying off “a small number of individuals.”