Editing Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (section)

== Controversies ==
=== Tokyo Dome Riot ===
On August 1999 Konami held an invite only tournament in [[Tokyo Dome]], where participants could buy packs containing limited edition cards. Despite being invite only, the venue quickly become overcrowded with over 55,000 kids and their parents. Fearing the danger of [[overcrowding]], Konami decided to cancel the event midway. Unfortunately this incited the crowds, as some participant were waiting for four hours only to find out that they will be unable to get said cards. Police were called to defuse the situation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Magnier |first1=Mark |title=Cartoon Craze Boils Over in Japan : Yugi-oh features its own comic characters, trading cards--and near-riots |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-24-mn-13493-story.html |access-date=4 January 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=24 September 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=東京ドームの「遊戯王」イベントカード販売中止で混乱 |trans-title=Confusion over cancellation of "Yu-Gi-Oh!" event card sales at Tokyo Dome |url=https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/games/news/9908/27/news04.html |access-date=4 January 2025 |work=Softbank Games |date=27 August 1999 |language=Japanese}}</ref>

After this no ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' events were held in Tokyo Dome until 2024, almost 25 years since the accident.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haddick |first1=Alicia |title=On Japan's biggest stage, Yu-Gi-Oh!'s 25th anniversary event celebrated its past by looking to the future |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/yu-gi-oh-tcg/feature/yu-gi-oh-25th-anniversary-event-legend-of-duelist-quarter-century-tokyo |access-date=4 January 2025 |work=Dicebreaker |date=13 February 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Konami-Upper Deck lawsuit ===
From March 2002<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upperdeckentertainment.com/news.asp|title=Upper Deck to Deliver Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game to the US market|date=February 11, 2002|publisher=[[Upper Deck Company|Upper Deck Entertainment]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020402182316/http://www.upperdeckentertainment.com/news.asp|archive-date=April 2, 2002|access-date=March 25, 2014}}</ref> to December 2008, Konami's trading cards were distributed in territories outside of Asia by [[Upper Deck Company|The Upper Deck Company]]. In December 2008, Konami filed a lawsuit against Upper Deck alleging that it had distributed inauthentic ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' TCG cards made without Konami's authorization.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/news/news_100113-Trial01.html|title=Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game|date=January 13, 2010|publisher=Yugioh-card.com|location=El Segundo, California|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227092937/http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/news/news_100113-Trial01.html|archive-date=February 27, 2010|access-date=February 22, 2012}}</ref> Upper Deck also sued Konami alleging breach of contract and slander. A few months later, a federal court in Los Angeles issued an injunction preventing Upper Deck from acting as the authorized distributor and requiring it to remove the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' TCG from Upper Deck's website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iptrademarkattorney.com/Konami-preliminary-injunction-upper-deck-yu-gi-oh.pdf|title=Order Granting Preliminary Injunction Against The Upper Deck Company|date=February 11, 2009|publisher=iptrademarkattorney.com|access-date=September 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713053242/http://www.iptrademarkattorney.com/Konami-preliminary-injunction-upper-deck-yu-gi-oh.pdf|archive-date=July 13, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2009, the court decided that Upper Deck was liable for counterfeiting ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' TCG cards, and it dismissed Upper Deck's countersuit against Konami.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iptrademarkattorney.com/court-order-konami-summary-judgment-counterfeit-trademark-copyright.pdf|title=court-order-konami-summary-judgment-counterfeit-trademark- copyright|date=December 23, 2009|publisher=iptrademarkattorney.com|access-date=September 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202182413/http://www.iptrademarkattorney.com/court-order-konami-summary-judgment-counterfeit-trademark-copyright.pdf|archive-date=February 2, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iptrademarkattorney.com/Konami-court-order-granting-finding-no-dispute-unauthorized-sales-yu-gi-oh.pdf|title=Konami-court-order-granting-finding-no-dispute-unauthorized-sales|date=December 23, 2009|publisher=iptrademarkattorney.com|access-date=September 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202182324/http://www.iptrademarkattorney.com/Konami-court-order-granting-finding-no-dispute-unauthorized-sales-yu-gi-oh.pdf|archive-date=February 2, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iptrademarkattorney.com/Konami-MSJ-court-order-grants-counterclaims.pdf|title=Konami-MSJ-court-order-grants-counterclaims|date=December 29, 2009|publisher=iptrademarkattorney.com|access-date=September 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713053600/http://www.iptrademarkattorney.com/Konami-MSJ-court-order-grants-counterclaims.pdf|archive-date=July 13, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Konami is now the manufacturer and distributor of the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' TCG. It runs regional and national tournaments and continues to release new ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' TCG products.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-22 |title=Latest Releases |url=https://www.yugioh-card.com/eu/products/latest-releases/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Yu-Gi-Oh! |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Legal dispute with Beyond Comics===
In 2008, Beyond Comics Inc. and its founder Graig Weich filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Nihon Ad Systems (NAS), 4Kids Entertainment, Upper Deck Company, and others, alleging copyright infringement, trade dress infringement, and unfair competition. The complaint stated that Konami and its partners had unlawfully copied the design of Weich's comic book character '''Ravedactyl''', created in 1993, in the design of the '''Elemental HERO Air Neos''' character from the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' trading card game and animated series.

According to the court filing, Ravedactyl had been widely promoted at industry conventions, including San Diego Comic-Con and MIPCOM, and featured in comic books, films, and toy prototypes. Beyond Comics claimed that Konami and NAS had direct access to the character and that Air Neos allegedly misappropriated multiple distinctive elements of Ravedactyl's design, including its helmet, wings, color scheme, and overall stance. The lawsuit also cited statements by ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' creator Kazuki Takahashi, who had acknowledged drawing inspiration from American comic book superheroes when designing the "Elemental HERO" series, including "Neos", and that had Takahashi/other Konami staff had been at most of said events.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beyond Comics Inc v Konami Corp |url=https://trellis.law/doc/district/4831479/beyond-comics-inc-v-konami-corp |website=Trellis Law |access-date=April 17, 2025}}</ref>