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Nintendo forced to remove press release by Hong Kong High Court photo

On October 22nd, Nintendo released a press releaase giving details about litigation against a company called "Supreme Factory Limited." As you know, Nintendo has been cracking down on mod chips, and this company was accused of infringing on Nintendo's intellectual property rights by making similar devices.

Apparently the release was wrong in saying that a final, substantive judgment on intellectual property right infringement has been handed down by the Court against Supreme. On November 2nd, Nintendo was ordered to take it down from its Web site. By issuing this release, Nintendo had breached an implied undertaking not to use information and/or documentation obtained as a result of a search order carried out on Supreme's premises except for the purposes of the proceeding.

Since then, the High Court has ordered Nintendo to give Supreme the names of the organizations who received the original press release.  

Hit the jump for the full release. 

[Thanks, JR] 

HONG KONG, Dec. 3 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- On 22 October 2007, Nintendo of America Inc ("Nintendo") issued a press release, which was wrong insofar as it may have suggested that a final, substantive judgment on intellectual property right infringement has been handed down by the Court against Supreme Factory Limited ("Supreme"), on its website http://www.nintendo.com/ and publicised it to popular gaming sites.

In the proceedings before the High Court Supreme seeks to overturn the pre-trial injunctions and will vigorously oppose the Nintendo's claims that they have infringed its intellectual property rights. Supreme has already managed to obtain an order from the High Court to unfreeze a significant amount of money to allow Supreme to meet its ordinary and proper business expenses in respect of product which is not the subject of the proceedings.

The Press Release was correct insofar as it reported that the Hong Kong High Court had granted certain pre-trial injunctive relief, allowing Nintendo representatives to search the premises of Supreme in Hong Kong. The search was for items which Nintendo alleges breach its intellectual property rights in the Nintendo DS and Wii systems. The Court also ordered that certain of Supreme's assets be frozen.

On 2 November 2007 the Hong Kong High Court ordered Nintendo to remove the Press Release from its website. In issuing the Press Release Nintendo had breached an implied undertaking not to use information and/or documentation obtained as a result of a search order carried out on Supreme's premises except for the purposes of the proceeding.

On 19 November 2007, the High Court further ordered Nintendo to disclose to Supreme the names and contact details of all persons or organisations to whom Nintendo (or anyone acting on its behalf and/or anyone under its control) has provided the Press Release.








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Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools. Meet the rest of the team



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20 comments | showing # 1 to 20
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king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 12:09
king3vbo
Uh oh, looks like Ninty screwed up
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 12:10
king3vbo
Lets see how they PR spin this one

Argh, double post :(
BluDesign's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 12:10
BluDesign
Nintendo can hate them all they want. I like mine.
Baron Calico's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 12:14
Baron Calico
Somehow I think Nintendo is going to recover from this one.

Just a hunch.
F Whipple's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 12:19
F Whipple
Ooopsies
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 12:24
MaxVest
Better get those orders in quickly, gang.
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 12:25
AngelsDontBurn
Thank you Dale! You just reminded me I need to get mine. :) <3.
hoydensnare's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 13:11
hoydensnare
Piracy ain't going nowhere. Nintendo, just focus on making great products and the money will keep rolling in.
Covertpoet's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 13:44
Covertpoet
gotta love nintendo
SLiFE's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 14:29
SLiFE
Oh shits... better pick up my R4 card soon.
Shin Oni's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 14:36
Shin Oni
you know, all this would be cut down by at least half of what it is now if we didn't have to import most of the games or got smart like sony and made their system region free.

I mean handhelds are already there and the PS3 got smart with it. Why can't everyone else?
SourGr8pes's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 15:05
SourGr8pes
My thoughts on the issue?

Bob Muir's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 15:20
Bob Muir
Nice going, Nintendo.
Mista Smegheneghan's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 15:21
Mista Smegheneghan
@Shin Oni: apparently, it's to stop people from getting games early. This was asked in the Official Nintendo Magazine UK to NOE and they said that if the Wii were region free, then we would be able to play games like Mannhunt 2, which is banned in the UK. My thoughts are Nintendo and Microsoft just want Europeans to suffer by forcing us to wait a few months for the game to be translated into various languages that won't be used and possibly "editing" a game *coughresi4germany*
Shin Oni's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 15:25
Shin Oni
personally I just see that as a poor excuse to not allow region free. I mean I understand the logic, but the whole Manhunt 2 fisacal was blown out of the water to begin with. (seriously...what's the point of the A rating if it's never going to be implemented? Especially once it happens, all the bigwigs bash it for being to violent.)

It's bad enough Europeans suffer with the half a year wait on games already out in NA and Jap. But making games region locked so that games like Manhunt 2 can't be played? pff. It only leads back to making most of us mod systems so that we can play those games.
savagesaladin's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 15:58
savagesaladin
Mine is black.
brad drac's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 16:28
brad drac
It doesn't print enough money?
Fading Star's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 16:29
Fading Star
"Nintendo hates these"

I don't.
KaL YoshiKa's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/04/2007 21:19
KaL YoshiKa
If the console was region free to begin with then the mod chip manufactures would lose a pretty big part of their legal reasons to make them. The damn things are legal down here in backwater Australialand.
Burnt Meatloaf's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/05/2007 04:36
Burnt Meatloaf
*King3bvo: "Lets see how they PR spin this one"

The same way they always do: by keeping their mouth shut.
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