GDC Parent Sues China GDC Organizers

United Business Media, parent company of Game Developers Conference as well as Gamasutra, has sued China Game Publishers Association and Howell International Trade Fair Limited for unfair competition and false advertising surrounding the latter companies' just-concluded China GDC event. UBM's own official GDC China, in competition with China GDC, is set to occur this October 11th-13th at the Shanghai International Convention Center and, according to a UBM statement made last month, is the only game development conference approved by China's Ministry of Culture. Specifically, UBM is claiming "unlawful infringement of rights" by the organizers of China GDC, alleging the similarly-named events have caused "public misconception". The firm also charges that the CGPA has "issued letters to relevant industry enterprises and individuals preventing them from participating in GDC China 2009." According to UBM, these practices have "negatively impacted" China's game development industry. The lawsuit demands GCPA and Howell "cease [their] illegal acts, offer a public apology, lift their influence on the local industry, and compensate for all corresponding economic losses."