Nintendo Wants Tokyo’s ‘Mario Kart’ Tours To End

If you search for things to do in Tokyo, Japan, you may find many lists that mention suiting up as Mario, Peach or Luigi and driving go-karts on the busy streets of the city as one of the things worth experiencing. Nintendo doesn’t seem to happy about the use of its intellectual property by rent-a-kart services and has been trying to put an end to these tours.

Nintendo sued one of those tour companies called Marika Co. last year for infringing on its copyright. Tokyo’s District Court has ruled in the gaming giant’s favor now and has ordered Marika to stop renting out costumes and also pay a fine for its actions.

Japan’s Patent Office had a different view on Nintendo’s claim that Marika is actually short for Mario Kart. It hadn’t acknowledged Nintendo’s argument but the Tokyo District Court has ruled otherwise by overturning the patent office’s earlier ruling.

Nintendo is known to be very protective of its intellectual property so it doesn’t really come as a surprise that the company wasn’t a fan of these tours that allowed locals and tourists alike to live the Mario Kart experience. The fine that Marika will have to pay has not yet been determined.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: General
Tags: mario kart, Nintendo