Death Note: L, Change the World at Kinokuniya on April 28, 2009

Ai Kawashima comes to Kinokuniya on May 1 2009!

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. Prevails in Appeal Proceedings against Upper Deck International

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. Prevails in Appeal Proceedings against Upper Deck International

Court of Appeal Rejects Upper Deck International's Claims Relating to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME™

El Segundo, CA (April 15, 2009) – The Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. (KDE) in appeal proceedings against Upper Deck International (UDI). UDI had requested a preliminary injunction to compel KDE to accept UDI as its exclusive distributor for Europe, Oceania and Latin America. On April 7, 2009, the Court of Appeal rejected all of UDI's claims. Having reviewed the evidence presented in summary proceedings, a panel of three professional appeal judges issued a decision holding that UDI had failed to show that the 12 December 2008 termination of the distribution relationship regarding the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME™ (TCG) in Europe and Latin America, had been unlawful. The decision confirms that there is significant evidence that links the Upper Deck Company to the distribution of counterfeit Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG in North America. In this respect, the Court of Appeal's decision echoes an earlier ruling by the District Court for the Central District of California, United States.

“This is a terrific victory for the legions of Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Duelists worldwide,” noted Kunio Neo, President of Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “Managing all aspects of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG business directly not just in Asia and North America, but globally, will allow Konami Digital Entertainment to strengthen and protect the integrity of the brand throughout the world.”

Under the terms of the court’s preliminary ruling, the distribution agreement between KDE and UDI was rightfully terminated as of 12 December 2008. This means that, with immediate and retroactive effect, UDI is no longer the authorized distributor of Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG for all of Europe, Oceania and Latin American territories.

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From Konami Press Release

For previous news about this case please refer to this Legal Times: Old and New, Upper Deck Konami and YuGiOh

Return of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Shonen Jump Championships

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Announces the Return of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME SHONEN JUMP Championships; Premiere Event is scheduled for Anaheim’s Convention Center April 25-26

Company Debuts New Ranking System COSSY, KDE Player I.D. Cards & Mystery Prize Card

El Segundo, CA – (April 10, 2009) – A new day is dawning in competitive Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) play. Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KDE) is unveiling today their plans to bring back the SHONEN JUMP Championships, the largest and most prestigious Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG tournament series in North America. Adding a level of mystery to the event, a new Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s SHONEN JUMP Championship prize card will be revealed for the first time.

KDE’s SHONEN JUMP Championship series will begin April 25-26 in the “Big A” (Anaheim, CA) at the Anaheim Convention Center. Each registrant will receive their KDE “official” identification card at the event. The registration fee is $20, and each player will receive five booster packs just for participating.

“Duelists have patiently waited for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. to outline our plans for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME SHONEN JUMP Championships and now we are,” said Yumi Hoashi, Vice President of Card Business for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “The SHONEN JUMP Championships, by their very nature, are created to be enjoyed by as many players as possible and are some of the most celebrated events we hold each year. Those who cannot make this SHONEN JUMP Championship can follow round-by-round coverage online at www.yugioh-card.com/en/events.”

SHONEN JUMP Championship Anaheim details: The Anaheim Convention Center doors will open promptly at 8:00 a.m. for registration with Round One beginning at 10:00 a.m. The top 16 finalists for the SHONEN JUMP Championship along with the top 32 Duelists of the Sunday Regional will qualify to participate in the 2009 U.S. National Championship, which will be held later in the year.

Great family fun: The SHONEN JUMP Championship in Anaheim offers exciting Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG side events for moms, dads and brothers and sisters not in the main tournament. The side events for both Saturday and Sunday include Win-a-Mat events, a Team Dueling competition, and special events for Duelists under 13. There will also be a Regional Qualifier on Sunday.

SHONEN JUMP Championship prizes: Prizes include brand new Top 16 SJC game mats, Nintendo DSi™ units with Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Stardust Accelerator World Championship 2009, Wii™ units and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Wheelie Breakers, a 32 GB iPod Touch installed with Konami Mobile Games, a paid trip to the U.S. National Championships, and a complimentary subscription to SHONEN JUMP magazine for the Top 16.

New Duelist Rankings: KDE has developed their own proprietary ranking system, called COSSY [Konami Card Game Official Tournament Support System], which will be used at the first SHONEN JUMP Championship in Anaheim. “By using COSSY in the first event it allows all players to start advancing up the rankings at the same time. New Duelists have just as much chance to rise in the rankings as veterans. This is the ranking system that is currently used in Japan,” added KDE’s Hoashi.

For more information on Konami Digital Entertainment, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME or the SHONEN JUMP Championship series, please visit www.yugioh-card.com.

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From Konami Press Release

Site Announcement

I have reopened my site for your enjoyment!

Thank you for your patience and cooperation!

Kids Comic Con April 25, 2009

THE KIDS COMIC CON 2009 IS ALMOST HERE!

Hey kids (and parents! And teachers! And comic fans! And, yeah, you at the computer, too!), the KIDS COMIC CON 2009 is right around the corner! Most exciting is that’s there are more things for kids to do than at last year’s con!

Site Announcement

I will closing the site from the public for at least 24 hours, because I am using the site for my graduate homework that deals with posting. Unfortunately, I do not know how this will affect those who RSS feed or subscribe to my site.

I will make another announcement when I reopen the site to the public.

Thank you for your cooperation!

New York Anime Festival 2009 Registration Is On!

To all you fans of NYAF:

This is a message from Mr. Lance Fensterman, Show Manager of the New York Anime Festival:

I'm very proud to announce that tickets are now live at newyorkanimefestival.com. We got tickets up early this year, and all are available at special, discounted prices. Online, Friday tickets are $35, Saturday tickets are $40, Sunday tickets are $35, and Weekend tickets (good for all three days) are $55. At the Javits Center, all tickets will be priced $5 higher. Further, if you pick up your ticket online, you'll be able to bypass the registration lines on-site -- meaning registering online will save you time and money.

And, for the first time, I've got a special bonus for all fans who sign up for tickets at newyorkanimefestival.com -- two free weeks of premium service at anime video portal crunchyroll.com through a special offer located in NYAF's registration confirmation e-mail. If Crunchyroll is new to you, it's an online video community that offers licensed, legal full-length episodes and movies including Gintama, Naruto Shippuden, REBORN!, and Shugo Chara! We're excited to be working with the good folks at Crunchyroll this year and hope to do a good deal more with them this spring, summer, and fall.

Expect news from me about guests, VIP packages, contests, and programming in the coming months, and to make sure you stay on top of things, keep your eyes on NYAF's official website (www.newyorkanimefestival.com) and blog (www.mediumatlarge.net). Now, though, I've got to go as I've got to pick out which flip-flops I'll be wearing tomorrow!