MKR Group and Capcom in legal brouhaha over Dead Rising

If the old adage says that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” then MKR Group should probably feel flattered by the fact that Capcom has come up with a game like Dead Rising. Thing is, the group isn’t. It’s gotten to the point where both parties are seeking to assert their legal rights. More legal issues abound after the jump.

If someone made a game about zombies, would you think it’d be too similar to George Romero’s movies? That’s precisely what MKR Group, owner of the copyright to the Living Dead films, thinks about Capcom‘s Dead Rising, so much so that the latter has sought legal assistance regarding the matter.

This is how it reportedly happened, according to Kotaku: MKR Group and Capcom tried to resolve the similarity issue between the best selling game and “Dawn of the Dead,” but it supposedly went nowhere. Instead, a letter was apparently sent to Capcom, Microsoft, and Best Buy complaining that the game was too similar to Romero’s movies.

In a response to the possible threat of legal action on MKR Group’s part, Capcom’s lawyers are seeking declaratory judgment regarding Dead Rising, stating that the game has not violated MKR Group’s copyrights and trademarks. Their point: that “humans battling zombies in a shopping mall” is a “wholly unprotectible idea” as far as current copyright standards go.

Ironic, indeed, considering that George Romero once cooked up a Resident Evil movie that never saw the light of day. If you want the gritty details of the complaint, feel free to check out our source link below.