Koei Tecmo files lawsuit against Youzu for copyright infringement

Japanese video game developer Koei Tecmo officially filed a lawsuit against Youzu (Singapore) (Yoozoo Games) in Tokyo court on April 8.

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The iconic Japanese video game developer has alleged that Youzu (Singapore) has been using content such as music, images, and trademarks from two of its titles, "Nobunaga's Ambition" and "Taiko Risshiden". The suit alleges Youzu (Singapore) has been continuously using Koei Tecmo's intellectual property in web advertisements for 成り上がり～華と武の戦国, which roughly translates to "The Uprising: The Warring States of Flowers and War," Infinity Kingdom, and Dynasty Origins, all of which are published by Youzu (Singapore).

The suit states that Koei Tecmo has warned Youzu (Singapore) multiple times via letters but alleges the company has continued to infringe on its intellectual property. Koei Tecmo is seeking an injunction as well as compensation for damages, but it's not immediately clear if Youzu (Singapore) will lose the case as Japan isn't a part of the Reciprocal Enforcement of Foreign Judgements Regime Act, meaning before any enforcement takes place, the claims will have to be first filed in Singapore.

YOOZOO says the Singapore office "plays a critical role in YOOZOO's global aspirations".

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"This is not the first time that Defendant has infringed upon our intellectual property rights and in the past, we have sent out warnings on Defendant's infringement activities multiple times, but there have been repeated infringement activities without any effective improvement to this day. Moreover, this time Defendant is using our company name in public without permission, and we have also confirmed descriptions that cause user's misconceptions that we are related to the Defendant App," the suit reads