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Title: Richard Rubinstein sues Capcom for infringement
Description: "Zombies...mall...MINE!"


William S. Wilson - February 26, 2008 06:01 PM (GMT)
Kind of ironic how they call it GEORGE A. ROMERO'S DAWN OF THE DEAD.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080226/media_...edia_zombies_dc
QUOTE
An independent movie producer with rights to the horror movie "George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead" sued video game maker Capcom Co Ltd on Monday in the latest salvo in a copyright dispute.

The producer, MKR Group, alleged that Capcom's popular "Dead Rising" game was essentially a computer game version of its "Dawn of the Dead" movies.

Earlier this month, Capcom filed a case against MKR in a California federal court, seeking a declaration that the game did not infringe on MKR's intellectual property rights. It also sought an injunction to prevent MKR from suing the company.

New York-based MKR said it filed its complaint after talks with Capcom over the dispute failed.

"Both works are dark comedies," the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in New York on Monday reads. "In both, the recreational activities of the zombies and absurdly grotesque 'kill scenes' provide unexpected comedic relief."

"Both works provided thoughtful social commentary on the 'mall culture' zeitgeist, in addition to serving up a sizable portion of sensationalistic violence," it said.

A spokesman for Capcom, Chris Kramer, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Richard Rubinstein, who produced the 1979 horror film and was a senior producer of a 2004 remake, is the principal shareholder and president of the MKR Group, according to MKR's complaint.

Andrew King - February 27, 2008 05:31 AM (GMT)
If only the makers of Zombie 3: The Nights of Terror had gone after Capcom for that first Resident Evil game too...Apparently the game was envisioned after viewing the particular color scheme as on the Japanese VHS, the plot also dealing with a Mansion and various folk attacked by the invading Zoms (no STARS troops there though!).

I always wanted a videogame of Fulci's Zombies 2/Zombie Flesh Eaters (and/or Live And Let Die for that matter). Although there are several Zombie survival action/horror games, I felt they never matched up to the best first person shooters available or kept the scares that the movies (and some other games) invoked.

Domenick Fraumeni - February 27, 2008 05:18 PM (GMT)
Oops, guess someone didn't want to cut Rubinstein a check. Why am I not surprised, except that it took this long?
This is from the same guy who's been busy selling away Romero's past glories, anyway he can. Forgive me while I pull out the world's smallest violin for Rubinstein and Co.

Domenick Fraumeni - February 27, 2008 05:20 PM (GMT)
QUOTE (Andrew King @ Feb 27 2008, 12:31 AM)
If only the makers of Zombie 3: The Nights of Terror had gone after Capcom for that first Resident Evil game too...Apparently the game was envisioned after viewing the particular color scheme as on the Japanese VHS, the plot also dealing with a Mansion and various folk attacked by the invading Zoms (no STARS troops there though!).

I always wanted a videogame of Fulci's Zombies 2/Zombie Flesh Eaters (and/or Live And Let Die for that matter). Although there are several Zombie survival action/horror games, I felt they never matched up to the best first person shooters available or kept the scares that the movies (and some other games) invoked.

Really? That's really cool to hear :).

Oh, yes. ZOMBIE 2, and quite a few other Eurohorrors, would make great games.

William S. Wilson - February 27, 2008 05:39 PM (GMT)
QUOTE (Andrew King @ Feb 26 2008, 11:31 PM)
If only the makers of Zombie 3: The Nights of Terror had gone after Capcom for that first Resident Evil game too...Apparently the game was envisioned after viewing the particular color scheme as on the Japanese VHS, the plot also dealing with a Mansion and various folk attacked by the invading Zoms (no STARS troops there though!).

That is funny. I saw the trailer for the upcoming RESIDENT EVIL 5 and thought, "Wow, someone made ZOMBIE IV: AFTER DEATH into a game."

RE5 trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILuP43jcaXw

William D'Annucci - February 27, 2008 07:59 PM (GMT)
Wow... Who or what exactly is The MKR Group? Is any of this potential legal settlement cash going to Romero? Or is his name just used as a way to brand the original?

I can picture a meeting between an irate Rubinstein and his lawyer back in the 90s when the first Resident Evil games started raking in cash, with the lawyer explaining why they couldn't sue: "Now, Richard, if only the game had provided... I dunno, some thoughtful social commentary on the whole "mall culture" zeitgeist or something, then we could sue Capcom's ass!"




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