Is it true that Atari sued Magnavox/Philips over K.C. Munchkin?
Yes. In late 1981, Atari, Inc. and Midway Mfg. Co. filed suit against North American Philips and Park Television, a Magnavox Home Entertainment Center, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division. The suit alleged that K.C. Munchkin infringed on Pac-Man’s copyright, and that the defendants engaged in deceptive trade practices by comparing the two games. The case number was 81-C-6434. On December 4, 1981, the U.S. District judge found in Philips’s favor, stating that K.C. Munchkin was not “substantially similar” to Pac-Man. However, the case was soon appealed, and on March 2, 1982, the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the decision, stating that K.C. Munchkin really was “substantially similar” to Pac-Man. The appellate court issued an injunction prohibiting sale of the game.36 Philips appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the high court refused to hear it, allowing the decision of the appellate court to stand.43 As a result, K.C. Mu
