Amazon and its streaming platform Twitch have initiated legal proceedings against Kirill Malofeev, the son of Russian entrepreneur Konstantin Malofeev, according to RBC reports. The lawsuit was filed in a California court, where the companies seek to prevent Malofeev from pursuing or initiating any legal actions against them regarding his Twitch account. Additionally, they requested the court to invalidate any rulings obtained by Malofeev in other jurisdictions, including Russia, insisting the matter be settled exclusively in California.
Kirill Malofeev, known online as Likkrit, is a professional League of Legends player who created his Twitch account in 2013. His account was suspended in 2022 following U.S. sanctions imposed against him and his cryptocurrency businesses, which authorities alleged were involved in "sanctions evasion schemes."
Following the suspension, Malofeev took legal action in Moscow's Arbitration Court, successfully obtaining a ruling that required Twitch to reinstate his account. The Russian court also mandated escalating penalties against the platform - starting at 100,000 rubles per day, with the fine doubling weekly indefinitely. Amazon and Twitch stated that by June 2025, these penalties would surpass "the total global monetary supply."
In 2023, Malofeev expanded his legal efforts by filing a separate lawsuit against the companies in Turkey, with hearings scheduled for October this year. Amazon and Twitch maintain that the gamer breached their user agreement, which stipulates that all disputes must be resolved through arbitration in Santa Clara County, California.