REDMOND, Wash. -- Nintendo of America Inc. Friday filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Blockbuster Entertainment Corp. for allegedly photocopying game manuals and providing them to people who rent the video games.
Lynn Hvalsoe, Nintendo's general counsel, said the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., seeks injunctive relief and damages.
'The photocopying of Nintendo's game instruction manuals by video rental outlets infringes Nintendo's registered copyrights,' she said in a prepared statement.
'We understand that video rental outlets across the country may be photocopying Nintendo game instruction manuals. We intend to stop this illegal practice.
'This lawsuit is the first of those which Nintendo will commence to stop this illegal practice.'
Hvalsoe said the use of game instruction manuals is essential for game players to understand and enjoy Nintendo's video games, especially the more popular ones like 'Zelda II -- the Adventure of Link,' and 'Super Mario Bros.'
Nintendo of America is based in Redmond, Wash., and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Co. of Kyoto, Japan.
