John Kirby, the Lawyer that Saved Nintendo, Dies at 79

In 1982, Kirby assisted with legal gorilla warfare.

[NecrumOddBoy]

Less importantly he let Nintendo get away with potential copyright infringement. More importantly he was a civil rights attorney. RIP Kirbz...

[PhoenixUp]

Infringing on who’s copyright? King Kong's intellectual property status has been questioned since his creation, featuring in numerous allegations and court battles. The rights to the character have always been split up with no single exclusive rights holder. Different parties have also contested that various aspects are public domain material and therefore ineligible for copyright status.

In 1975-1976 Universal themselves argued in a previous case that King Kong's scenario and characters were in the public domain and the court agreed. Universal knew it did not own trademark rights to King Kong yet asserted like it did anyway because it felt that them being a big company to then small time Nintendo that they could get away with such an audacious claim. Universal tried to have it both ways only when it profited them and rightfully got called out on it.

[Neonridr]

"potential" isn't actual, now is it? He didn't let Nintendo do anything, he proved that since King Kong was in the realm of public domain, that there was nothing Universal could do about it.

[AK91]

RIP