Interplay Wins Extension of Ruling Against Rival : Technology: Judge orders maker of game that resembles ‘Descent’ to continue recalling it from retailers, Irvine software firm’s attorney says.

A federal judge Monday extended a court order requiring a Minnesota-based computer software company to recall a product that closely resembles one of the most popular computer games produced by Interplay Productions Inc. of Irvine, attorneys for Interplay said.

The order, which had been scheduled to expire Monday, will now be in effect until a lawsuit that Interplay brought against LaserSoft Inc. of Eden Prairie, Minn., has been resolved, said Jeffrey Kingston, an attorney representing Interplay.

“We got 100% of what we wanted,” said Kingston, who added that a trial date has not been set.

LaserSoft officials were not available for comment.

In August, LaserSoft began selling a product that adds new levels of competition to Interplay’s “Descent” game, a spaceship simulation game that has sold more than 300,000 copies since it was released in May.

In the suit, filed Sept. 21 in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Interplay accuses LaserSoft of intentionally confusing customers and violating trademark laws by calling its software “Dimensions for Descent” and packaging it in a box that looks almost identical to the one designed by Interplay.

Monday’s ruling by Judge Alicemarie H. Stotler forces LaserSoft to continue recalling its product from retailers and to stop using the existing packaging scheme. It remained unclear whether LaserSoft could resume selling its product if it changed the packaging and title.

“There was no ruling on new packaging,” Kingston said.