Nintendo wins lawsuit against alleged Mario Kart imitators in Japan – Quartz

Since June 2015, the Japanese could dress up as Mario and Princess Peach and run in cities in a real version of the famous Nintendo channel. Mario Kart series of games – but that will change. Thursday, September 27, Nintendo won a legal battle against MariCar, a company that offers karting circuits in three different cities (Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa). A Tokyo District Court ordered MariCar to stop renting Mario Kart costumes, and pay $ 89,000 in damages to Nintendo. The company is still allowed to rent karts.

Last year, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against the karting service for copyright infringement and alleged violation of Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Law, which includes the misappropriation of property and businesses. other parts. Nintendo also complains that MariCar was using photos and videos of Mario Kart in its promotional material, and that "Mario KartIs commonly called "MariKar", which looks a lot like the name of the karting company.

In a statement, Nintendo said it would continue to take the necessary steps to protect its brand and intellectual property. As stated by Engadget, Nintendo protects its intellectual property and has already filed several complaints of copyright and patent infringement. The company was also planning to open its own version of Mario Kart at Super Nintendo World, which should open at Universal Studios Japan before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The MariCar website currently indicates that the service continues as usual, as the service is "fully complied with by local business laws in Japan." Kart ", and urges customers to avoid racing or throwing red turtles, as gamers do in the video game. According to the website, karting circuit prices range from JPY 9,000 to JPY 12,000 ($ 79 to $ 105), and the company had a range of suits from which drivers could choose before the trip.

The karting service has faced controversy before, precisely because MariCar drivers were a threat in the streets. Quartz had previously indicated that the Japanese authorities had already expressed concern about the karts, particularly after a series of incidents involving vehicles, including MariCAR karts. Japan still allows people to drive karts on public roads, but it seems that Luigi's vision will no longer be.