THQ, Activision settle Baja box art suit

THQ was not messing around when it challenged Activision Blizzard in court over box-art similarities for the two publishers' respective off-road racers Baja: Edge of Control and SCORE International Baja 1000. Not a month after the initial complaint was filed, the two parties have reached an amenable agreement that sees Activision swapping out the cover art for Baja 1000.

As with the original complaint, the out-of-court settlement was first spotted by Patent Arcade. The new Baja 1000 box art, obtained by Patent Arcade, now depicts a close-up shot of a blue rally car's front axle and tire. That's in stark contrast to the offending cover shot, which featured two race cars in profile in the foreground, one red and the other silver with touches of blue. The action shot was set in a canyon environment, and the two rally racers were trailed by a dirt bike.

Activision Blizzard released SCORE International Baja 1000 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, and PC on October 28. The suit did not indicate how the publisher plans to disseminate the game's new cover art, and the company had not responded to requests for comment as of press time. In keeping with its corporate policy, THQ declined to comment on the settlement.