Update: A statement from Koei Tecmo (courtesy of Eurogamer) has the defending publisher claiming that Capcom's suit is baseless.
"It is true that Capcom has filed a suit against Koei Tecmo," the studio said. "However we hold that there has been no copyright infringement of IP and patents held by Capcom and believe that this claim has no merit as will be proven through legal proceedings."
Capcom has yet to respond to Tecmo's statement. Original story follows.
Original story: Capcom has filed a lawsuit against Ninja Gaiden publisher Koei Tecmo for alleged copyright infringement in 50 of Tecmo’s games.
The report comes from Japanese publication Sankei (translated by Siliconera), which shows that Capcom cites Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends and 49 other titles as infringing upon two of the company’s patents.
The first, filed in 2002, pertains to adding new content to an existing game via external software—essentially DLC. The second patent refers to controller vibrations caused by nearby in-game enemies. Capcom alleges this feature “has greatly contributed to the sales” of Koei Tecmo’s games. Both are broadly used features, suggesting Capcom is targeting a specific aspect of Tecmo’s usage.
Capcom is seeking ¥980 million in suit (approximately $9.43 million), along with the suspension of several of Tecmo’s games.
