Remember that knock-off Mario Kart service operating in Tokyo? Since 2017, it's been engaged in an ongoing legal battle with Nintendo, but it looks like its days are finally numbered.
In January of this year, the go-kart firm was ordered to pay the video game giant 50 million yen for violating its IP rights. It appealed this decision, and now it's just been revealed by Nintendo that Japan's Supreme Court has dismissed it - upholding Nintendo's win.
This latest development follows on from the go-karting service attempting to crowdfund its business. And in more recent times, it's taken another financial blow due to the pandemic. There's obviously no tourism at the moment, and as noted in the past, locals aren't fans of the service.
If you're looking for a more authentic real-life Mario Kart fix, perhaps Super Nintendo World's Mario Kart ride will offer the definitive experience.
[source engadget.com]
Comments 38
The courts are always rigged in the big corporations favor, no matter whether they're within their rights or not to do so; Japan being the worst example.
I mean, free publicity? What's that?
Hey look an article that will make Nintendo fans like Sega for like 10 minutes so that they can say Sonic Mania proves Sega is better than Nintendo or whatever.
And then proceed to buy 5 Nintendo games next year and ignore Sega's offerings.
The courts didn't go far enough imo.
Every pasty foreign Otaku who ever hired their services should be blacklisted from ever setting foot in Nippon again.
People can lament Nintendo's IP protection all they want... BUT THIS WAS NOT THAT. These things were death traps and public menaces (bystanders could be injured by this nonsense). It was not an adorable small business playfully borrowing licensed characters. The inevitable death would be bad AND the media would undoubtedly connect this to Nintendo. It had to stop.
Yeah, this one is indefensible. Go Kart races on public roads just aren’t a good idea.
@Muddy_4_Ever Thanks for giving more context to the full story. Now I can see why Nintendo would want to shut the service down.
Thanks for not giving us the full context once again, NL.
@SeantheDon29 Except Nintendolife has already posted countless articles explaining exactly what Maricar is.
So why Nintendolife have to keep explaining the context every time when they haved already done so in the past.
I mean they basically clogged up the street with illegal vehicles and used Nintendo to sell a ridiculous "service". It would be one thing if they made their own track and just needed to change up the characters but they didn't make a legitimate business for the court to uphold.
@Kawaiipikachu That may be true, but it's important to give full context to new viewers who haven't been following the story up to this point.
I know people that have done this, and I have disdain for them.
Moral of story: don’t appeal! Woo that amount shot up.(from 10 million yen to 50 million yen)
Granted they were totally in the wrong so I don’t know what they expected to happen.
@SeantheDon29 : And if anybody is injured, dies, or if those employed by or own the business act in a manner contrary to the image that Nintendo wishes to maintain, then Nintendo will be the ones viewed as blameworthy, and unfortunately, the masses (and many "journalists" for that matter) aren't inquisitive enough to ascertain whether the karts are run by Nintendo themselves.
It isn't simply a matter of Nintendo wanting a share of the profits.
Maricar: "Let's run unlicensed Mario Kart through the Tokyo rush hour, where someone's liable to get horribly maimed and/or killed! What could POSSIBLY go wrong?"
Nintendo: "This is copyright infringement, we're suing."
Japanese courts: "This is illegal. Please shut it down."
Maricar: SurprisedPikachu.gif
@SeantheDon29 The very first link in the article has a good summary of events to date. The informations been provided for anyone wanting to click through and read it. Regular readers here are likely across this service by now so they shouldn’t need to retread the ground each and every article.
Don’t think blaming NL for not providing information is warranted at all in this case.
@Smigit Fair enough I suppose.
Come in and cheer Nintendo fans, not that this will benefit any of us. As long as papa Nintendo is happy maybe they won't delay Metroid again.
@KillerBOB Bit harsh perhaps, but it was definitely not a good look for anyone: certainly not for Nintendo, and not for the poor sods buzzing around the streets in tacky onesies either.
Nintendo is having Go Carts at Super Mario World so that could be another reason to stop this besides safety and unofficial use of IP
As a resident of the very city these karts were operating in it's amusing to watch people drop absolutely off the mark commentary about the situation lol
Ha, it looks like Toad Turnpike.
Well then, there is only one thing left to do: Sonic Team Racing karts!
Comments on MariCar concerning risk of accidents:
Comments on MariCar concerning copyright protection:
@SeantheDon29 Free publicity? Really? REALLY?!! They were making money off of using Nintendo's brands and characters. Without their permission. There is nothing FREE about that. This is outright stealing for which the copyright and trademark legislation exists.
@SeantheDon29 profiting off someone else's IP is not "free publicity". There are many ways it could reduce the IP holder's revenue. If you want to give corporations more power, removing or reducing fictional IP protections would be a great way of doing that.
All they need to do is change things ever so slightly and it would be fine from what I can see, which it seems they're doing now anyway so all is good. It could still be clearly Mario themed but without actually being proper Mario branding and stuff. And again, it seems that's what they're doing now anyway, so Nintendo doesn't have much to claim copyright infringement on at this point. They should be good. And people can still bring their own Mario costumes too if they like without breaking any laws, which would achieve the same effect while bypassing the copyright issue--because people are indeed allowed to wear the official Nintendo clothing and merchandise they've legally purchased from Nintendo where and whenever they like. That's about as much as they can do, a clear nod to Nintendo but no actual official Nintendo or Mario branding and logos and the like from the actual Street Kart company itself.
Edit: Don't know about any of the illegal street racing stuff that some people have mentioned though. I expect it's probably exaggerated to make Nintendo's case seem stronger, although maybe not, but I don't actually know one way or another on that stuff so won't comment further.
Edit 2: Actually, the website certainly says the carts are road safe and legal: "Our custom made go-karts are fully complied with local governing laws in Japan. Also company safety regulations exceeds the safety requirements by police officials therefore our street kart experience is not only exciting and fun but also very safe." - https://kart.st/en/tokyobay.html#about
Hey look an article that will make Nintendo fans like Sega for like 10 minutes so that they can say Sonic Mania proves Sega is better than Nintendo or whatever.
@Toy_Link I don't quite follow you. What does this mean? I don't grasp the Sega connection...
And then proceed to buy 5 Nintendo games next year and ignore Sega's offerings.
I've purchased quite a few Ages titles on Switch, and Sonic Mania, yes. If Sega publishes more, I will very likely buy more; I'm not sure how you can blame some of us, at least. I've not purchased any first-party titles in quite some time...
They were making money off of using Nintendo's brands and characters. Without their permission. There is nothing FREE about that. This is outright stealing for which the copyright and trademark legislation exists.
@sanderev I quite agree. This is indisputably IP violation, and I consider Nintendo and the court to be quite correct in the decision.
Removing non-monetized soundtracks from YouTube, however...
@AlexSora89 Is that photo from "Twelve Angry Men"?
Not only were they basically stealing Nintendo's most beloved and lucrative IP but using it in a dangerous fashion that would only have ended in disaster at some point with Nintendo getting the blame when it was reported and people just saw Mario. I don't understand why people get bothered when Nintendo protect their own IPs, that's why we're all here for goodness sake.
@doctorhino
Is it really illegal in Japan?
In the European Union they're treated like other smaller Vehicles (Scooters, Pedelecs), as long as you don't violate the Law, you can drive around with them.
When you think makind can’t be any more stupid, they invent kart racing in the middle of traffic.
@Toy_Link What!? 😕
The real question is whether, like Mario kart, I can play it and take a ***** at the same time.
@Toy_Link what has Sega got to do with this? Although ironically I have bought many more Sega games this year than Nintendo games
@matdub
Talking about those in particular who are on the Sega hate bandwagon until Nintendo sues/DMCAs something.
@Azuris I mean create a pack of 8 of these whipping around the streets and see if the cops have an issue. Organized racing is illegal even if the cars themselves aren't specifically.
For what it’s worth, here’s a first hand experience. MariCar was the thing I was most excited to do in Japan. It’s how I celebrated my 30th birthday.
Anyone claiming that this is a reckless activity and street racing is referring to something completely different from what we experienced. We had very tight protocols on where and how to drive. Everyone had to keep to their position while driving and stopping. The only ones passing us were the administrators who were running a really tight ship. Was it the safest thing I’ve done? No. Was it the most dangerous? Also certainly no. I jaywalk frequently in NY and that is way more dangerous. What you need to understand is that the context is Tokyo. It is not, well, almost anywhere else. People respect traffic rules and keep other drivers safe. Would I do MariCar in NY, absolutely not. In Tokyo, I’d do it every day if I could.
Also, it should be noted that you need a specially translated version of your driver’s license to be able to drive the karts and you need to get it before you leave your home country. Anyone who doesn’t prepare before leaving doesn’t get to drive (it happened to the friends we were with who didn’t do the planning). Essentially, it’s easier to rent a Mercedes almost anywhere in the world and recklessly drive it endangering yourself and others (as many do) than it is to do MariCar.
Now, regarding the IP stuff. I tend to have a one track mind about this: don’t use other people’s stuff without permission. This is no different. However, I also want to note how infuriating it was to try to find Nintendo activities in Japan. Until this park, in 2021, there was absolutely NOTHING one could do! No park, no store (except a Pokemon one), no museum, no tour, no office, no nothing. I went to Japan in part because I love Nintendo as a brand. MariCar and another illegal Mario bar were the only things that scratched the itch.
In fact, driving around Tokyo in a kart visiting sites in a Mario costume, with my wife as Peach, was the single most enjoyable tour both of us ever had.
@COVIDberry Same thing. Without commentary about the copyrighted work, it cannot count as fair use. So it should be removed.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...