Interplay Joins Lawsuit Against Hackers

Video game makers, including Irvine-based Interplay Entertainment Inc., have filed a federal lawsuit alleging their games have been pirated by hackers for illegal sales over the Internet.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, alleges wire fraud, mail fraud and violation of federal racketeering law by individuals who are members of groups known as Class, Paradigm and Razor 1911.

The complaint was not brought against the groups.

The illegal sales represent a potential loss of income in the tens of millions of dollars for the video game companies, and information about the alleged pirating has been passed on to the Justice Department for possible criminal charges, said Doug Lowenstein, president of the Interactive Digital Software Assn. of Washington, D.C.

The industry group was one of the plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit. Besides Interplay, the other video game makers in the suit are Lucasfilm Ltd., Acclaim Entertainment Inc., 3DO Co., Infogrames and Bethesda Softworks Inc.