An independent promoter based in Arkansa has filed a lawsuit against WWE, TKO Group, and 2K Games, Inc among others, per PWInsider Elite and Fightful.
The lawsuit filed by Nathaniel Tatha-Nanandji alleges that a “distinctive, repeated visual sequence” he developed for a faction in WCWA Wrestling was essentially stolen when a wrestler within that promotion later appeared on WWE SmackDown, claiming the wrestler asked for footage that scouting personnel could use “for review.”
The lawsuit details the sequence used by the Tier 1 faction within the independent promotion, noting that WWE introduced a “visually and narratively similar ritualized audiovisual sequence” for the Bloodline faction.
2K and associated companies are named as having been licensed the infringing sequence by WWE for the past several years.
Tatha-Nanandji has demanded “a jury trial and is seeking a declaration that the defendants have infringed on his copyrights from the WCWA material” as well as a permanent injunction preventing its continued use.