The Trial

[Manhattan, New York]

[Madison Avenue]

[Headquarters of Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon]

Orio Masayoshi made contact and personally visited the law firm's headquarters.

This visit was carried out under specific instructions from Shin.

[Managing Partner's Office]

Orio Masayoshi found himself in Christian Foley's office, seated on the sofa.

Christian Foley held the position of Managing Partner at Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon law firm.

He served coffee to Orio Masayoshi and initiated a discussion regarding the Universal Studios lawsuit against KiShin's Donkey Kong.

After some time, Christian Foley suggested that their senior partner, Joseph Kirby, take charge of the case.

---

Joseph Kirby, a 30-year-old man, was currently in his office with associates working alongside him.

A man entered Joseph Kirby's office and informed him, "Mr. Kirby, the Managing Partner has requested your presence."

Joseph neatly arranged the papers on his desk, nodding at the man, and then exited his office to head to the Managing Partner's office.

Upon entering, he encountered the middle-aged Managing Partner, Christian Foley, and an unfamiliar Asian man. Joseph was taken aback as he recognized the Japanese man from a television appearance the previous night.

Christian Foley nodded at Joseph Kirby and proceeded to introduce Orio Masayoshi. He explained, "Mr. Kirby, this is Orio Masayoshi, the President of KiShin US. He's here to request legal representation for the Universal Studios lawsuit."

Joseph Kirby nodded in acknowledgment and said, "I saw news coverage of the lawsuit." Following this, he engaged in a discussion with Orio Masayoshi before eventually accepting KiShin's offer.

"At this juncture, we must gather data and evidence to demonstrate that KiShin did not infringe on Universal Studios' King Kong and counter their lawsuit," Joseph Kirby remarked, to which Orio Masayoshi concurred.

---

On August 5th, 1991, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York hosted the trial. Universal Studios accused KiShin of copyright infringement concerning 'Donkey Kong,' which had generated 30 million dollars in profits in the USA.

Numerous media outlets were present to document the proceedings.

The attorneys for both sides commenced with their opening statements, laying out their arguments for the jury.

Universal Studios' legal representative contended that Donkey Kong constituted a clear infringement of King Kong. In response, Joseph Kirby, the legal representative for KiShin, along with his partners and associates, argued that Donkey Kong represented a transformative work that did not violate Universal Studios' copyright.

The judge maintained a solemn silence while attentively listening to the opening statements from both sides. He brought his gavel down on the table to restore order, putting an end to the tumultuous arguments.

"Order in the court!" With the judge's stern declaration, both sides noticeably quieted down and proceeded with their opening statements.

After some time, the judge called for witness testimony.

The first witness to take the stand was Joel Curtis, none other than the President of MCA, Inc., the parent company of Universal Studios.

Joel Curtis testified that he had played a role in the development of the King Kong film and firmly believed that Donkey Kong was a derivative work of King Kong.

The judge then granted KiShin the opportunity to cross-examine. KiShin's legal representative skillfully cross-examined and highlighted the distinctions between Donkey Kong and King Kong.

Joseph Kirby and his partners emphasized that Donkey Kong was a comical character, vastly different from the serious demeanor of King Kong. They also pointed out that Donkey Kong was a monkey, while King Kong was a gorilla.

Universal Studios countered the arguments before the judge once again brought his gavel down on the table.

After some time, the moment arrived for the presentation of evidence. Both sides submitted their evidence to the jury, which included video clips from the King Kong film and the Donkey Kong video game.

Several hours passed in the courtroom, and at the end of the proceedings, both sides moved for a directed verdict. A directed verdict is a ruling by the judge indicating that the evidence presented is so overwhelmingly in favor of one party that the jury must return a verdict for that side. However, the judge denied both motions, asserting that there was enough evidence for the jury to make a decision.

Following this, Universal Studios' team was noticeably disheartened as they failed to gain the upper hand in the proceedings.

Orio Masayoshi felt relieved that they had effectively defended against Universal Studios' accusations.

---

[Tora US Headquarters]

Luther and the executives had been observing the trial for some time and expressed disappointment when the result was announced.

Luther sighed in frustration, remarking, "What a shame, they managed to get through the first day of the trial..."

One of the executives responded, "There's still more of the trial to come, so KiShin isn't entirely out of the woods."

Another executive added, "I was hoping Universal Studios would win, though..."

Luther and the other executives nodded in agreement, but simultaneously, they noticed that Universal Studios hadn't gained the advantage, making their chances of winning considerably lower...

---

[Suzuki™ Entertainment]

Seki and Shiko were in the office together when they learned of the result of the first trial between Universal Studios and KiShin.

Seki expressed disappointment, saying, "This is truly unfortunate..."

Shiko offered a wry chuckle, remarking, "The trial is ongoing, so I wouldn't say KiShin is entirely in the clear just yet..."

Seki sighed, stating, "Indeed, but at this moment, it seems the scales have tipped in KiShin's favor..."

Shiko simply sighed in response.

---

[Toshima Ward, Tokyo, Japan]

Shin and Mira received the news of the result, and Mira couldn't contain her joy.

Shin couldn't help but smile as he once again found the irony in the situation. Their legal representative in the trial against Universal Studios bore the name Joseph Kirby.

"I had somewhat overlooked that video game, but this Universal Studios lawsuit has brought it back to my attention. Not to mention, it seems like the world is urging me to produce that video game, considering our legal representative is named Joseph Kirby," Shin thought with a smile, murmuring to himself, "Is this fate?"

Simultaneously, as he contemplated producing a Kirby video game, Shin realized the importance of acquiring studios to recreate the successful films from his previous life.

Although he had some reservations, the decision to do so became clear to him when Universal Studios initiated a lawsuit against his company. In response, Shin believed it was only fitting to engage in direct competition with that company in the realm of films and movies.