Litigant seeks Zynga shut down

Agincourt Gaming has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Zynga, reports Sun Herald.

The company claims Zynga violated two of its patents and is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a permanent injunction that could shut down Zynga's multi-billion-dollar business.

The company, which currently sports a stable of just one title, has pulled up patents dating back to 1996, says Games Beat.

Agincourt says some of Zynga's most successful titles, including FarmVille, Zynga Poker and Mafia Wars, are all examples of patent infringement.

According to Cnet, Agincourt says Zynga's remarkable growth has not been driven by its own ingenuity.

It is reported that Zynga's business model is to copy creative ideas and game designs from other game developers and then use its market power to bulldoze the games' originators.

The recent rise in patent litigation has stirred controversy with many renewing calls for a revamping of patent laws. Zynga, however, has also filed suit to protect its intellectual property.