Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Universal thought they owned King Kong.
Nintendo’s lawyers said: open a dictionary.
This might be the funniest legal defense in gaming history. Nintendo didn’t just argue that Donkey Kong was different. They pulled out dictionary after dictionary to show that “King Kong” had already become slang for size, strength, monsters, and apparently...cheap booze.
That matters because trademark law is about preventing consumer confusion, not letting one company own every giant ape forever.
The legal strategy was wild. The receipts were even wilder.
What’s the most ridiculous courtroom argument you’ve ever heard?
#Nintendo #DonkeyKong #KingKong #GamingHistory #TrademarkLaw @NintendoAmerica @UniversalPictures
Universal thought they owned King Kong.
Nintendo’s lawyers said: open a dictionary.
This might be the funniest legal defense in gaming history. Nintendo didn’t just argue that Donkey Kong was different. They pulled out dictionary after dictionary to show that “King Kong” had already become slang for size, strength, monsters, and apparently...cheap booze.
That matters because trademark law is about preventing consumer confusion, not letting one company own every giant ape forever.
The legal strategy was wild. The receipts were even wilder.
What’s the most ridiculous courtroom argument you’ve ever heard?
#Nintendo #DonkeyKong #KingKong #GamingHistory #TrademarkLaw @NintendoAmerica @UniversalPictures
