NCSoft (co-CEOs Kim Taek-jin and Park Byung-moo; hereafter “NC”) is currently pursuing legal action against the operators of illegal Lineage private servers that infringed its copyrights and caused harm to users.

On the 17th, NC announced that the Seoul Central District Court granted its application for a provisional attachment of the bank accounts of operators behind four illegal private servers (Love Server, Skull Server, Lightning Server, and Aura Server). At the same time, NC is also proceeding with lawsuits seeking damages against the private-server operators.

NC explained that it decided on a hardline legal response after determining that the operators had unjustly profited from users and interfered with the game company’s legitimate services. The Seoul Central District Court granted the application after finding that the damages claims had been sufficiently substantiated and that preservation measures were necessary.

The illegal private-server operators are believed to have continuously distributed unauthorized and modified versions of the server and client for Lineage, NC’s flagship IP (intellectual property), through ongoing unlawful circulation. This constitutes a clear illegal act that violates the Game Industry Promotion Act.

Meanwhile, Minister Choi Hwi-young, during the second work briefing for public institutions under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held in January, stated: “To operate a private server, you have to steal source code or hack—so this is clearly organized crime.” Addressing the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC), he also instructed that “more proactive measures are needed against illegal private servers that are encroaching on the game industry.”

Kim Haemajung, Head of NC’s Legal Center, said, “Illegal private servers generate illicit profits through activities such as cashing out in-game currency and item trading, and their abnormal operations inflict major damage on both users and game companies,” adding, “We will continue taking strong legal measures in cooperation with internal and external experts.”

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.