Upper Deck Wins Two Legal Battles in Yu-Gi-Oh! Case

Upper Deck is still in the Yu-Gi-Oh! business for the time being, after court rulings in the U.S. and overseas put a roadblock in front of efforts by Konami to terminate Upper Deck’s exclusive distribution contract for the game.

A California court denied Konami’s application for a temporary sales and shipping ban against Upper Deck. As a result, Upper Deck can continue to market, sell and distribute the trading card game, and continue providing support for retailers and consumers.

Meanwhile, a Dutch court upheld an injunction filed by Upper Deck in regards to its overseas distribution contract with Konami, which means Upper Deck can continue in its role as the exclusive distributor of the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game in all European territories, plus Australia and New Zealand.

Both victories clear the way for Upper Deck to continue distributing, marketing and selling Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG products in territories outside of Asia.

“Upper Deck is very pleased with (the) rulings,” said Upper Deck executive Bernd Becker. “We look forward to continuing the superior game support that we’ve been delivering to worldwide Yu-Gi-Oh! players for the last seven years.”