Nintendo Wins Supreme Court Case Against 'Mario Kart'-Themed Tour Company
The service lost support from locals after a failed crowdfunding attempt.
After three grueling years of legal proceedings, the Supreme Court in Japan has finally ruled in favor of Nintendo over their dispute with Street Kart (previously named MariCar), a Mario Kart-themed tour company providing street go-karting services in Tokyo.
The proceedings first began back in 2017 when Nintendo filed the lawsuit against the touring company, and an appeal made to the country’s highest intellectual property court back in January this year resulted in a ruling for the massive gaming giant, ordering MariCar to pay ¥50 million JPY (approximately $483,000 USD) for violation of IP rights. The company subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, which ultimately dismissed its request, cementing the earlier decision.
On top of losing its legal battle against Nintendo, MariCar also lost its support from Tokyo locals, who have grown tired of go-karts driven by tourists zooming across their streets. According to Sora News 24, the company suffered a massive financial hit from lack of tourism due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and turned to crowdfunding in the hopes of keeping business afloat, but the appeal was met by lackluster support as well as strong criticism from residents in the region.
In other gaming-related news, a rare Dwayne Johnson University of Miami football card has sold for $14,000 USD.
