Nintendo's legal department is famous - the company has sent DMCA takedowns to Mario fangames, Zelda mods, and more. But here's a story you've probably never heard of - an incident where Nintendo NEEDED to sue another company! I promise, it was for the good of the gaming industry. Let me tell you about the morally GOOD Nintendo lawsuit!
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SOURCES
https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2018/01/31/112476.html Background on Japanese game industry patents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqMLvjSPeyc Kit and Krysta talking about Nintendo patents
https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kxwpz/nintendo-files-patents-for-links-abilities-in-tears-of-the-kingdom ToTK patents 1
https://jolt.law.harvard.edu/digest/ilife-v-nintendo-jury-slaps-nintendo-with-10-1m-verdict-for-infringing-patent-despite-ipr-proceedings-invalidating-five-other-ilife-patents Nintendo Wii remote lawsuit 1
https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/21/21075799/nintendo-wii-remote-wiimote-patent-case-verdict-ilife-lawsuit Nintendo Wii remote lawsuit 2
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/01/federal_court_rules_usd10_1_million_case_against_nintendos_wii_remote_as_invalid Nintendo Wii remote lawsuit 3
https://www.cyzo.com/2021/08/post_287799_entry.html History of Nintendo VS COLOPL
https://tokkyo-lab.com/co/info-lawsuitnintendo Japanese legal firm writeup of situation
https://tokkyo-lab.com/co/info-lawsuit03og Further details from legal firm
https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/PU/JP-2006-068385/11/ja Nintendo’s joystick patent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKpjTJ7Y6-8 Former Capcom producer’s video on the topic
https://www.mag2.com/p/money/1044837 Writeup of reaction tweets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9J02TgWYAc Comments show Japanese game fans’ reaction
https://jp.ign.com/nintendo/53718/news/33 Video showing altered control scheme
https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/1802/07/news114.html President Baba’s comments
https://www.bengo4.com/c_23/n_7465/ Date of first oral arguments
https://www.famitsu.com/news/202108/04229271.html COLOPL statement on settlement
https://www.bengo4.com/c_1015/guides/1655/ Detailed breakdown of timeline (which I found after painstakingly constructing a timeline of my own……)
https://business.nikkei.com/atcl/gen/19/00288/051800002/ Quote from other game company’s legal representative
CREDITS
Japanese arcade footage licensed for use from Lyle Hiroshi Saxon:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6OEFny8RgU
Object in Mario's hand icon via Freepik from Flaticon