kirby lawyer who defended nintendo

by Imogene Kemmer 7 min read

John Joseph Kirby Jr.

What did John Kirby do for Nintendo?

Oct 04, 2019 · John J Kirby, Jr., the lawyer who successfully defended Nintendo in a legal battle against Universal in the '80s to save the Donkey Kong franchise, has passed away aged 79. via The New York Times...

What did John Kirby do in the Donkey Kong case?

Oct 05, 2019 · John Kirby would be the attorney who defended Nintendo in court. During this time, he and Shigeru Miyamoto met and got to know each other, something that would have an impact later. It was eventually determined in 1984 that Universal had no legal right to claim copyright, because Universal had already proved in a prior lawsuit with RKO General, Inc. that the King …

What did John Kirby die of?

After Donkey Kong came out in Arcades, Universal sued Nintendo for copyright infringement, claiming that Donkey Kong was too close to King Kong. Nintendo hired John Kirby to defend them in the suit. Not only did he prove that Donkey Kong didn’t violate copyright, he also embarrassed Universal when he proved that they didn’t even own the rights to King Kong, and …

What are some of the most famous copyright cases that Kirby has?

John Kirby, Former Nintendo Lawyer Who Famously Defended Donkey Kong, Dies at 79. John Kirby, who Nintendo named one of their most popular characters (Kirby) in honor of, has passed away at age 79....

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How did Kirby save Nintendo?

Universal City Studios, Inc. This argument won the case, and Kirby was considered to have saved Nintendo during their early foray into the video game market. As a thank-you for defending them, Nintendo sent Kirby a $30,000 sailboat named Donkey Kong, and exclusive rights to use the name Donkey Kong for sailboats.

Who saved Nintendo?

John KirbyIn 1982, Kirby assisted with legal gorilla warfare.Oct 4, 2019

Who is Nintendo Kirby named after?

lawyer John KirbyShigeru Miyamoto stated that "Kirby" was chosen in honor of American lawyer John Kirby, who defended Nintendo in the Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. case in 1984 and that the guttural-sounding name contrasted amusingly with the character's cute appearance.

Who is Kirby Donkey Kong?

John J Kirby, Jr., the lawyer who successfully defended Nintendo in a legal battle against Universal in the '80s to save the Donkey Kong franchise, has passed away aged 79. Kirby was a prominent attorney who represented the likes of Pepsi, America Online, and Nintendo.Oct 4, 2019

Who is Nintendo lawyer?

John Kirby(October 22, 1939 – October 2, 2019) was an American attorney....John Kirby (attorney)John KirbyOccupationAttorneyKnown forDefending Nintendo from Universal PicturesSpouse(s)Susan Cullman ​ ( m. 2004)​Children33 more rows

Was Kirby named after a lawyer?

0:505:22Why Kirby was named after a Lawyer - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHowever what you probably don't know is that there is a real life kirby the character kirby wasMoreHowever what you probably don't know is that there is a real life kirby the character kirby was named after an american lawyer named john kirby. It's not as if this lawyer was the one who inspired.

Is Kirby a Pokémon yes or no?

Kirby (Japanese: カービィ Kābī) is the major non-Pokémon of the series Pokémon Dream Warriors. Kirby lives in his dome-shaped home in Dream Land, a country on his home planet Planet Popstar.

Can Kirby beat Goku?

From a technical standpoint, Goku could easily reach Kirby in a matter of milliseconds and knock him unconscious without even channeling his Kaio-ken technique or transforming into one of the Super Saiyan forms because he transcends the speed of light by default.Jan 18, 2022

Does Kirby have a girlfriend?

The manga (which is of dubious canon like most things Nintendo-related) does seem to treat Kirby as male, and he apparently has Dream Land 3's ChuChu as a girlfriend.Sep 20, 2020

Who is Kirby dad?

Meta Knight is a major character in the Kirby series, appearing in most of the games, the manga, as well as the anime since his debut in Kirby's Adventure in 1993....Keeby.KeebyFirst appearanceKirby's Dream Course (1995)Other appearance(s)Various (Kirby series) Super Smash Bros. seriesRelated character(s)Kirby

What is Kirby's gender?

Japanese sources do not confirm Kirby's gender, so he is referred to with gender neutral pronouns for a broader, more universal appeal in the Japanese market, along with most other Kirby characters. If Big Daddy Sakurai says genderless, then its genderless.Mar 8, 2019

Why is Mario named Mario?

Miyamoto wanted to use Popeye as the protagonist, but when he could not achieve the licensing rights, he created Mario instead. Miyamoto expected the character to be unpopular and planned to use him for cameo appearances; originally called "Mr. Video", he was renamed to Mario after Mario Segale.

Where is Kirby's home?

The New York Times reports that Kirby enjoyed sailing with his family by his homes in Westhampton Beach. Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto has also previously revealed that the character Kirby was named in John's honour. Our thoughts are with John's friends and family. [source legacy.com]

Who is John Kirby?

John J Kirby, Jr. (1939-2019) Kirby was a prominent attorney who represented the likes of Pepsi, America Online, and Nintendo. He successfully defended the video game giant from an infringement suit raised by Universal City Studios which claimed that Nintendo's arcade title, Donkey Kong, was illegally based on King Kong.

Is King Kong in the public domain?

It was found that Universal had previously stated that King Kong's story and characters were in the public domain. Donkey Kong went on to be a hugely important milestone for Nintendo's western ambitions, and the company gave Kirby a sailboat named 'Donkey Kong' in thanks for his work.

What did Kirby do?

Career. Kirby worked at the United States Department of Justice as special assistant to John Doar, head of the Civil Rights Division. During this time, Kirby gathered numerous voting records which showed widespread discrimination against African-Americans. This included literacy tests that were designed to prevent African-Americans from voting.

How many children did Kirby have?

Kirby was married twice. Kirby's second wife, Susan Cullman, was the daughter of Edgar M. Cullen, the CEO of a cigar company. Kirby had three children, who were all from his first marriage. He also had a stepdaughter.

Who is John Kirby?

John Joseph Kirby Jr. was an American attorney who defended Nintendo against a lawsuit from Universal Studios in 1984 over the character of Donkey Kong, because he was too similar to King Kong. He would later have the character Kirby named after him.

What law firm did Kirby join?

He became chairman of Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon, a law firm in Wall Street, in New York City. Following the dissolution of Mudge Rose, he joined Latham and Walkins LLP.

Who is Kirby named after?

Most notably, it was rumored that Kirby, the protagonist of the Kirby game series, was named after John Kirby. This was confirmed by Shigeru Miyamoto in an interview with Game Informer in 2011. While not confirmed, it is also rumored that a copy of Kirby's Adventure was sent to John Kirby, who was flattered.

What was Kirby's most famous case?

Kirby's most well known case was representing Nintendo against Universal City Studios following a lawsuit in 1984, during his time at Mudge Rose. Universal Studios claimed that the character Donkey Kong was an unlicensed version of their character King Kong.

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