The five-year legal battle between Nexon and Ironmace has reached its conclusion.

On the 30th at 10:00 AM, the Second Civil Division of the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals from both sides, effectively upholding the appellate court's verdict regarding the trade secret and copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Nexon Korea against Ironmace and CEO Choi Ju-hyun. Under the confirmed ruling, Ironmace is ordered to pay approximately 5.7 billion KRW in damages to Nexon, as the court validated the claims of trade secret misappropriation. However, Nexon's claims regarding copyright infringement were ultimately rejected.

With Ironmace still facing separate criminal proceedings for alleged violations of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act (leaking trade secrets), it is speculated that this precedent may negatively impact the company in future legal proceedings.

Nexon’s legal representative noted, "The appellate ruling recognized that Ironmace developed 'Dark and Darker' by infringing on the trade secrets of Nexon's P3 project, and awarded damages accordingly," adding that the court accepted the argument that Ironmace's actions were unjustifiable.

Regarding the rejected copyright claim, the representative explained, "The court did not declare that the results of the P3 project were not copyrightable material; rather, it simply found the evidence insufficient to prove infringement when comparing the unfinished P3 project to Dark and Darker."

Meanwhile, an Ironmace representative stated, "The Supreme Court ruling clarifies that Nexon's P3 and Dark and Darker are not similar and that we did not unfairly use Nexon's achievements, though we remain disappointed by the mixed ruling regarding trade secrets," adding that they will continue to fight to prove their innocence in the ongoing criminal trial.

They added, "Despite the disappointing aspects, we are relieved to provide stable game services moving forward. We will continue to prove ourselves through our games, just as we have, to ensure we do not disappoint the fans around the world who have loved and trusted Dark and Darker."

A Nexon official remarked, "The Supreme Court has finalized the appellate ruling, ordering 5.7 billion KRW in damages while widely recognizing the infringement of trade secrets regarding our unreleased P3 project. This sets a significant precedent for asset protection by confirming that the foundations of game development, such as source code and build files, are indeed protected trade secrets." They further added, "Unfairly hijacking company assets for profit is unacceptable. We will continue to respond sternly to threats against fair competition and our content ecosystem, and we hope this ruling will be duly considered in the criminal trial to ensure a just conclusion."