John Kirby, the Lawyer that Saved Nintendo, Dies at 79
The man who saved Nintendo has died
What would life be like if we didn’t have Donkey Kong, the Mario Brothers, or the Madden video game franchise?
Life as we know it hung the balance of a 1984 court case. Universal Studios sued Nintendo claiming Donkey Kong violated its copyright on King Kong.
Lawyer John Kirby won the case for Nintendo. The company so appreciative that they named a character after Kirby… Kirby.
Before that, John Kirby was involved in civil rights in the 1960’s as assistant to the head of the US DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. According to his New York Times obituary, John Kirby died Oct. 2 from complications with blood cancer. He was 79.
Were you an 80’s kid? Did you have the original Nintendo? What is/was your favorite video game? Did you always have to have the latest console?
