In a legal battle unfolding across continents, Amazon and its subsidiary Twitch have initiated proceedings in a California court against former professional League of Legends player Kirill `Likkrit` Malofeev. The core objective of this lawsuit is to legally prohibit the esports figure from pursuing litigation against Twitch and Amazon in any jurisdiction other than the United States.
According to documents filed within the US court system, Amazon seeks a court order preventing Likkrit from commencing new lawsuits or continuing existing ones outside the US that relate to his account on the streaming platform. Furthermore, the companies aim to block any attempts to recognize or enforce judgments obtained in foreign courts regarding this matter.
The dispute originates from 2022, when Twitch suspended Likkrit`s account. The platform cited compliance with US Department of the Treasury sanctions as the reason for the ban. Likkrit subsequently challenged this action in the Moscow Arbitration Court in Russia.
The Russian court ruled in Likkrit`s favor, ordering Twitch to restore access to his account. Crucially, the judgment included an `astrent` – a type of penalty payment for non-compliance. This penalty was set to begin at ₽100,000 (roughly $1,100 USD at current rates) and double weekly until Twitch complied with the order to reinstate the account.
Finding the Russian court`s ruling and the escalating penalty untenable, Twitch responded by filing its own lawsuit against Likkrit in the United States. Their goal is to have the US court declare the Russian judgment invalid and unenforceable.
During discussions related to Twitch`s US-based case, where Likkrit reportedly did not appear at a recent hearing, representatives for the platform argued that the Moscow Arbitration Court`s decision was fundamentally unfair. They claimed it was based on a law specifically intended to undermine US sanctions policies. Adding a touch of stark contrast and perhaps a hint of exasperation, Twitch representatives described the accumulated penalty amount as “unreasonable and utterly disproportionate” when compared to the less than $2,000 in revenue generated by the account over its nearly nine-year active history. The spiraling fine, by Amazon`s estimation, has now grown to a sum exceeding “all the money in the world” – a rather dramatic illustration of compounding penalties.
Likkrit`s connection to the US sanctions stems from his identity as the son of Russian businessman and billionaire Konstantin Malofeev. Within the esports community, Kirill Malofeev is well-regarded for his tenure with prominent CIS League of Legends teams like Hard Random and Albus NoX Luna. His career highlights include securing two LCL championship titles and achieving a memorable 5th-8th place finish with Albus NoX Luna at the 2016 World Championship playoffs.
The current legal entanglement highlights the complex challenges faced by international online platforms navigating conflicting legal frameworks and the impact of geopolitical sanctions on individual users, even those with a history of competitive gaming success.
Finley Holt