Kitano Takeshi Sues Longtime Partner Bandai Over Copyright and Royalties
Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentIconic Japanese actor and director Kitano Takeshi has filed suit against Bandai Namco Arts, a member of the Bandai Namco media group, for copyright violation, the Daily Shincho paper revealed in its latest issue, which hit newsstands on Thursday.According to the exclusive report, which has been circulated widely in the Japanese media, Kitano made the complaint to the Tokyo District Court on Feb. 10 of this year, filing in his own name as the plaintiff.Bandai’s relationship with Kitano goes back to the start of his three-decade career as a director, with the company both investing in most of his films and distributing them on physical media.