Koei Tecmo Sues Seller of Unauthorized Dead or Alive DVD

Koei Tecmo announced that it has filed charges against an unnamed suspect who made and sold an unauthorized DVD containing modified materials from the Dead or Alive series. [Thanks, Famitsu.]

The suspect was noted to have recorded footage from multiple games, including Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation. Further modifications were done to the footage, such as the removal of character clothing. The results were compiled into a DVD, which was then sold on an auction site.

Despite the character modifications, Koei Tecmo still saw it as a malicious infringement of its copyright and reported the case to Kanagawa Prefectural Police Department. The company intends to file both a criminal case and a civil suit against the suspect; the latter to demand restitution caused by copyright infringement from replicating and distributing the company’s creations without authorization.

The Dead or Alive series originated as a fighting game. The latest mainline title, Dead or Alive 6, launched simultaneously worldwide for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 1, 2019. The series is also known for the Xtreme spinoffs, which mainly feature female characters from the games. The ongoing Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation has been adding even more new original characters, such as Monica and Loberia.