NCSoft said on Monday it is taking legal action against operators of illegal private servers that infringe the copyright of its Lineage game and caused user harm.

NCSoft said the Seoul Central District Court approved its request for a provisional seizure of bank accounts of the operators of four illegal private servers: Love Server, Skull Server, Lightning Server and Aura Server. It is also pursuing a damages lawsuit against the operators.

NCSoft said it decided on a tough legal response after judging that the operators took unfair profits from users and interfered with the game company’s normal services. The Seoul Central District Court approved the request, citing that damages claims were substantiated and that preservation was necessary.

The operators are believed to have continuously distributed the Lineage server and client illegally after copying and altering them without authorisation. NCSoft said this is a clear illegal act that violates the Game Industry Promotion Act.

Kim Haema-jung (김해마중), head of NCSoft’s Legal Center, said, "Illegal private servers earn illicit profits through the exchange of in-game goods into cash and item trading, and their abnormal operations cause major harm to users and game companies." He added, "We will continue tough legal measures in cooperation with internal and external experts."