Zenimax Wins Court Battle Against Facebook, Awarded $500M

The lawsuit between ZeniMax and Oculus has finally ended, with the virtual reality company being ordered to pay the video game firm $500 million. The payment was awarded by a Texas jury after finding Oculus guilty of breaking a non-disclosure agreement. As hefty as half a billion dollars might seem, it’s nowhere near what ZeniMax was actually asking for.

In the lawsuit, ZeniMax was accusing Oculus of using stolen technology to create the Oculus Rift VR headset and that Facebook had known about it. As a result, it was asking for $6 billion in compensation, TechCrunch reports. Looking at this amount, the $500 million that the company was awarded might seem paltry. However, it would seem that the video game maker is actually pleased with the outcome.

In a statement that it wrote to the publication, Facebook writes that it is disappointed with the outcome of the case. The social media company is also insisting that the technology used to create the Rift was made by Oculus.

“The heart of this case was about whether Oculus stole ZeniMax’s trade secrets, and the jury found decisively in our favor,” the statement reads. “We’re obviously disappointed by a few other aspects of today’s verdict, but we are undeterred. Oculus products are built with Oculus technology. Our commitment to the long-term success of VR remains the same, and the entire team will continue the work they’ve done since day one – developing VR technology that will transform the way people interact and communicate.  We look forward to filing our appeal and eventually putting this litigation behind us.”

As Facebook is intent on pursuing the matter, it would appear that ZeniMax is equally intent on continuing the fight. Speaking to Polygon, the video game company reveals that it may push for an injunction that would stop all sales of the Oculus Rift on a temporary basis.