State Farm Must Face Atari’s Copyright Infringement Claim

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. failed to persuade a federal judge to throw out Atari Interactive Inc.'s lawsuit accusing its gaming competition ads of infringing the video game giant’s copyrights.

Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater dismissed multiple claims from Atari’s lawsuit, but denied State Farm’s bid to escape the copyright infringement claim. There’s sufficient evidence for Atari to plausibly allege State Farm’s copying was more than trivial, he said in a Sept. 27 memorandum opinion in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Atari sued State Farm in March over the insurance provider’s nationwide “Gamerhood” advertising campaign. ...