Universal files lawsuit against Aruze/Okada for patent violations

Wednesday 4th of April 2018

Universal Entertainment said it has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. against its former Aruze Gaming America unit and former Chairman Kazuo Okada for alleged patent violations.

The company said in a press statement that it filed suit in a District Court of the State of Nevada on March 30, seeking compensation from the two parties.

“Recently it became clear that AGA had illegally used patents on gaming machines belonging to the company to conduct the sale of gaming machines in the U.S.,” it said. “And that Kazuo Okada, a former director of the company, had illegal involvement in those activities.”

Aruze ceased to be a fully consolidated unit of Universal as of March 2010 after selling its entire stake in the gaming equipment company to Okada. The Japanese tycoon was ousted as the head of Universal last year after the company conducted an internal probe, finding three cases in which Okada misappropriated a total of $20 million in funds. The businessman has denied the allegations.

This lawsuit is the latest twist in a series of legal tussles involving Universal and its former chairman.

Last month, Universal settled a dispute with Wynn Resorts under which it received a settlement of $2.4 billion.

As a result of the settlement, Universal said it has revised its net income forecast from JPY 15.9 billion to JPY 195.5 billion, more than a 1000 percent increase.