While author John Beiswenger, who claimed Ubisoft had stolen elements of his novel Link when it created the Assassin's Creed series, had recently ended his lawsuit against the company, the story might not be over.
According to Gamasutra, Ubisoft has filed a complaint against Beiswenger and wants a ruling that his claims of copyright infringement were "entirely meritless."
If you're wondering why Ubisoft is still pursuing legal action on a lawsuit that has been withdrawn, there is a good reason. Beiswenger's lawsuit was ended "without prejudice" -- which means that he was free to make claims of copyright infringement against Ubisoft anytime in the future.
In a statement, an Ubisoft representative said, "The plaintiff in the case alleging copyright infringement by Ubisoft has dropped his claim, without settlement. Ubisoft believes this suit was frivolous and without merit, and is seeking a ruling to prevent future related claims. We are proud of our creative teams and will continue to vigorously defend the intellectual property they develop."
If Ubisoft is successful in getting a ruling that the original suit was meritless, the door will be closed to further legal action on Beiswenger's part.
This whole thing is getting more complicated than the plot to the Assassin's Creed series itself -- or the plot to Beiswenger's Link, depending on who you believe.