Supreme Court Orders Japanese MariCar Go Kart to Pay Nintendo $482,457 After Winning 2017 Intellectual Infringement Lawsuit

Supreme Court finally decided it is already game over the Nintendo-Maricar lawsuit on Dec. 24. It ordered Japanese go-kart service MariCar to pay Nintendo ¥50 million or $482,457 after it decided in favor of the Japanese gaming giant over the intellectual infringement lawsuit that began in 2017.

According to Siliconera, Nintendo released a statement on Dec. 28 announcing the Supreme Court ruling. The company has been enforcing stringent actions against individuals and companies who may have breached their copyright over their games and products.

Supreme Court Orders MariCar Go-Kart to Pay Nintendo About $500,000

Japan's Supreme Court Judge Katsuyuki Kizawa ended the three-year Nintendo-Maricar lawsuit on Dec. 25 as he dismissed the appeal of Mari Mobility Development Inc. regarding MariCar, a popular tourist attraction. Judge Kizawa decided in favor of Nintendo.

Aside from sharing the court ruling, Nintendo also gave background of the case in the statement it published in its website on Dec. 28. The company also noted that it will continue to "take necessary measures against infringement of intellectual property" (IP) to protect the intellectual properties that it created through the years.

The case began after Nintendo filed a case in a Washington court on February 24, 2017 against Maricar for infringement of intellectual property rights and seek for compensation. On September 27, 2018, the court asked Maricar to pay damages and suspend unfair competition.

MariCar was once a go-kart service located in Tokyo, Japan. It allowed tourists to travel around the streets riding its go-karts. Videos of this go-kart service with users wearing costumes of Mario and other Nintendo characters went viral online.

Further aggravating the case was an incident when MariCar allowed customers wearing Nintendo-themed costumes to have similar experience to the game. This led the High Court to order Maricar the injunction against unfair competition and ordered it to pay $482,457 to Nintendo.

Nintendo's Fight Over Intellectual Property, a Legacy

According to Nintendo Enthusiast, Nintendo owns some of the highly recognizable, if not the most famous, intellectual properties. Since Super Mario continued to be one of the most popular mascots, Nintendo has been doing everything to protect such a legacy including chasing YouTube content creators, Mario games modifications, and fake merchandisers.

Well, it is Nintendo's right to protect Super Mario, which is the world's eighth most lucrative media franchise in 2019. The company has been working hard to protect the brand from any unofficial creations, which could hurt Mario's image. The recent win in the legal battle is a great way to seal the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario World for Mario-Game Experience

Universal Studios Japan will soon open the "Super Mario"-themed park, which will feature the "Mario Kart" ride. The Mario Kart-themed attraction located in Osaka will open on February 4, 2021.

The opening of the park has been delayed after coronavirus pandemic struck the world and closed all entertainment facilities due to health and safety concerns. Universal Studios Japan has been constructing the park since 2015 and it shared a video on its official YouTube channel to give fans a sneak peek of what they can expect from the park, which will give them an experience to step a Super Mario Bros. game.

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Written by CJ Robles