In 1983, Universal sued Nintendo, claiming Donkey Kong infringed on its King Kong trademark. Nintendo’s attorney (and future board member,) Howard Lincoln, had to enlist the help of attorney John Kirby for his record of winning big cases, and it paid off big. Universal’s claims that Donkey Kong could be confused with King Kong fell on deaf ears.

Nintendo and Universal jointly file a copyright for a Donkey Kong movie, seemingly confirming long-standing rumors.

According to U.S. copyright records, both Nintendo Studios and Universal Pictures have secured the copyrights to what's listed as "Untitled Donkey Kong Project." It's also noted in the document that it is a "short-form license," which in simple terms means an agreement that allows the licensees to use other copyrighted material.