Nintendo Seals Court Victory Against Knock-off 'mario Kart' Tour Company

Nintendo seals court victory against knock-off 'Mario Kart' tour company

A judge has confirmed Nintendo's court victory over a go-kart company that did Mario Kart-themed tours on the streets of Tokyo, Engadget Japan reports. Early this, year, MariCar (now branded as Street Kart) was ordered to pay Nintendo $50 million yen ($483,000) for violating its IP rights. The company appealed, but Japan's Supreme Court dismissed it, upholding Nintendo's earlier win.

Nintendo first sued Mari Mobility, aka MariCar, back in 2017. Other companies offered similar tours, but MariCar's IP breach was particularly noticeable because it let drivers dress up as Mario Kart characters. Nintendo also felt its name could be sullied by safety issues, which proved to be a valid concern after several accidents.