Id Software and ZeniMax have filed a lawsuit against Oculus VR claiming that the company misappropriated trade secrets relating to virtual reality technology.

ZeniMax has released an official statement, which explains its claims that the Oculus Rift was only made possible due to “years of research and investment” by ZeniMax.

“The suit arises from the defendants’ unlawful exploitation of intellectual property, including trade secrets, copyrighted computer code, and technical know-how relating to virtual reality technology that was developed by ZeniMax after years of research and investment,” reads the statement, in part. “ZeniMax provided this valuable intellectual property to defendants under a binding Non-Disclosure Agreement that specifies such intellectual property is owned exclusively by ZeniMax and cannot be used, disclosed, or transferred to third parties without ZeniMax’s approval. ZeniMax’s intellectual property has provided the fundamental technology driving the Oculus Rift since its inception. Nevertheless, the defendants refused all requests from ZeniMax for reasonable compensation and continue to use ZeniMax’s intellectual property without authorization.”

“All efforts by ZeniMax to resolve this matter amicably have been unsuccessful,” the statement continues. “Oculus has recently issued a public statement remarkably claiming that “ZeniMax has never contributed IP or technology to Oculus.” Meanwhile, Luckey has held himself out to the public as the visionary developer of virtual reality technology, when in fact the key technology Luckey used to establish Oculus was developed by ZeniMax.”

ZeniMax says it will be pursuing “all appropriate measures under the law”, starting with the U.S. Distric Court for the Northern District of Texas. “Intellectual property forms the foundation of our business,” said ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman. “We cannot ignore the unlawful exploitation of intellectual property that we develop and own, nor will we allow misappropriation and infringement to go unaddressed.”

Id co-founder and Oculus CEO John Carmack refuted the claims by ZeniMax earlier this month, and the company has suggested that Facebook’s recent $2 billion acquisition of Oculus could be the cause for ZeniMax’s legal action.

(via CVG)