The developers of the popular horror series Poppy Playtime have formally taken legal action against Google for allegedly allowing copyright infringement of their IP to be published on the Google Play Store. Mob Entertainment has suggested in the lawsuit that the "scam" apps available on the storefront purposefully misled fans of the series into purchasing copyright-infringed titles.
Mob Entertainment's lawsuit targets Google specifically as they believe the tech giant didn't take the necessary action to remove the copycat apps for Chapters 3 & 4 of the controversial survival horror series, which utilized the Poppy Playtime name. The developers' complaint lists Google as a defendant, as well as "Daigo Games 2020," who have been credited as publishing the "scam" apps on the Android-based app store.
Mob Entertainment Has Enough Of Google "Scam" Apps
The Lawsuit Delves Into Alleged Examples Of Copyright Infringement
Mob Entertainment's lawsuit targets unauthorized apps on the Play Store that utilize the Poppy Playtimecopyright. TorrentFreak analyzed the lawsuitand noted one such example where the unauthorized "Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3" and "Poppy Playtime: Chapter 4" apps offered in-game transactions between the prices of 30 and 95 dollars. As noted in the lawsuit, Mob Entertainment stated "when users pay for the [in-game transaction] “Guide wuggy playtime mod,” all they receive is a link to a dead webpage." Mob Entertainment argues that transactions like this have directly profited Google through associated Play Store fees.
This is a copyright infringement, trademark infringement and unfair competition action arising out of Google’s and Daigo’s unauthorized and willful actions infringing Mob Entertainment’s copyrights and trademarks and for Google’s and Daigo’s unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business practices. - MOB ENTERTAINMENT, INC vs GOOGLE, LLC and JOHN DOE d/b/a DAIGO GAME 2020 INC. (courtesy of TorrentFreak)
The lawsuit's allegations of copyright infringement against the developers of the unauthorized app provide examples of this. Referred to as "Daigo's Scam Applications" in the text, screenshots from Mob Entertainment's Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 are used by Daigo Games' "Poppy Playtime Chapter 3" page on the Google Play Store. Additionally, copyrighted characters such as Bubba Bubbaphant and CraftyCorn are used in the Daigo-published apps without express permission from Mob Entertainment.
The Developers Have Tried Several Times To Get These "Scam" Apps Removed
Mob Entertainment Suggests that Google Has Profited From The Unofficial Apps
Along with Daigo Games, Google is directly cited in the lawsuit as a defendant. Mob Entertainment has stated that they contacted Google's official DMCA team on several occasions to remove the apps named in the document over months. Mob notes that the unauthorized "Poppy Playtime Chapter 3" was removed on December 9, 2024, but was available once again under the same URL just four days later. The copyright-infringing apps were not dealt with promptly, according to the official developers of Poppy Playtime, resulting in the unofficial apps still being available at the time of writing.
Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 is called “Safe Haven,” but it looks like the player shouldn’t be fooled into a sense of security under the Doctor’s watch.
Mob Entertainment has asserted that Google's response to the DMCA takedown requests has been inadequate, and the alleged 15-30% cut that Google will have received from the purchases of the infringing apps will have directly benefitted them. Due to a failure in enforcing these guidelines, Google is allegedly complicit in the success of the "scam apps." While neither Google nor Daigo has responded to the allegations presented in the lawsuit, which seeks a potential $150,000 in damages, the injunction comes at a time of importance for Mob, as the official Poppy Playtime: Chapter 4 is set to release soon.
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