The ever-litigious Nintendo has filed yet another copyright dispute, this time with an amiibo handbook due to the use of the Amiibo logo. This is far from the first project Nintendo has filed copyright claims toward, and the company is building a considerable reputation for its constant legal aggression.
Made by Ninty Media, the unofficial amiibo handbook was designed as a guidebook that catalogued every single amiibo available at the time of the book’s release. Not only does this compendium show off every amiibo, it also gives fun facts about each character listed, and even has estimated prices to help those trying to purchase these desired figures today. The Kickstarter for the book launched last month and has long surpassed its initial goal of £3,000 with £36,172 at the time of its being taken down.
However, that Kickstarter has now come to a halt thanks to this new dispute from Nintendo. Viewing the copyright notification on the Kickstarter page reveals that it is under dispute due to the use of the amiibo logo on the cover of the book, along with some of Nintendo’s other design marks. Paul Murphy, the man behind the amiibo handbook, along with other projects from Ninty Media, has posted on Twitter that he would respond shortly to this claim, demonstrating that the book isn’t cancelled yet. But he did offer refunds to anyone who contributed to the Kickstarter in the event that he loses the dispute.
This is yet another copyright dispute to add to the list of the many that Nintendo has filed towards various fan projects. Nintendo has taken down soundtracks for various games on YouTube, and has also shut down the selling of custom joy-cons made in honor of Etika. The tail end of 2020 also saw the movement #FreeMelee, in response to Nintendo shutting down a Super Smash Bros. Melee online tournament due to its use of third-party mods. The list goes on and on.
Given Nintendo’s history, it’s unsurprising that what have been dubbed by many as the “Nintendo Ninjas” are at it again. Similar to Nintendo’s past cases, it’s a dispute where Nintendo is legally in the right, but dubious in its morality. The more of these projects Nintendo cancels, the clearer the message that Nintendo is against these types of fan projects. It’s not a good message to send to the community, and it harms the relationship Nintendo has with its consumers. But the book could still be made, and if this dispute does get resolved, the Kickstarter will likely reopen for those who want to support this project.
Source: Kickstarter, Paul Murphy