News has emerged that Koei Tecmo Games has filed a lawsuit against the Singaporean app development company YOUZU. Below are my thoughts after reading this news.
Koei Tecmo Games has filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court, seeking an injunction against the use and damages for the unauthorized use of images and trademarks from popular games like “Nobunaga’s Ambition” in web advertisements, which they claim infringes on their copyrights. Specifically, it is alleged that YOUZU continuously used images, music, and trademarks from Koei Tecmo’s games without permission in web advertisements for their mobile games such as “Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade,” “Infinity Kingdom,” and “Dynasty Origins.”
Furthermore, YOUZU has previously infringed on Koei Tecmo’s copyrights, and despite multiple warning letters, no improvements were seen, leading to this lawsuit. It is also reported that Koei Tecmo’s company name was used without permission, leading to misleading representations to users, which has been deemed “extremely malicious.”
Here are the points that I found particularly noteworthy about this issue:
Continuous Acts of Copyright Infringement
As Koei Tecmo stated, YOUZU has previously infringed on copyrights and did not respond to warnings, which is very serious. Copyright infringement is a major issue even when it happens once, but continuous infringement is even more malicious.
Unauthorized Use of Trademarks and Risk of Misleading Consumers
Trademarks are important rights that distinguish specific products or services from others. Unauthorized use can mislead consumers and affect reliability. The unauthorized use of Koei Tecmo’s trademarks has a high risk of causing user confusion and negatively impacting the company’s brand value.
Importance of Legal Action
Koei Tecmo filing a lawsuit sends a strong message against copyright and trademark infringement. Taking legal action helps protect rights and serves as a warning to other companies and individuals.
Conclusion
This lawsuit reaffirms the importance of copyright and trademark rights. Those whose rights are infringed upon can protect their rights and prevent further infringements by taking legal measures. Companies need to adhere to copyright and trademark rights and be very careful not to infringe on the rights of others.
While keeping an eye on Koei Tecmo’s future actions, it is essential to continue efforts to protect copyrights and trademarks to prevent similar issues from arising.
Please share your opinions and thoughts on Koei Tecmo Games’ copyright infringement lawsuit.
