AMO A TAKES STAND AGAINST VIDEO LOTTERIES • 'TRACK & FIELD' COUNTERF EITS
SEIZED • KONAMI RAIDS CANADIAN LOCATIONS • 'ELEVATOR ACTION' KITS SEIZED •
TAllO WINS PIRACY CASE • NJ DECLARES 2 CARD GAMES ENT[RTAINMENT • ALWAY
ENTERS INDUSTRY • 'STAR RIDER' EARNS MEDAL • OPERATORS OFFERED KIDDIE RIDE
GUARANTEE • NEW REPORT TO FORECAST VIDEO TRENDS
AMOA TAKES STAND
AGAINST VIDEO LOTIERIES
The AMOA decided to take an
official stand against state operated
and controlled video lottery games
at the Mid-Year AMOA Board
meeting in San Antonio at the end
of April.
" The board discussed state oper-
ated and controlled video lotteries,
and we ca n ' t se e any participation
for operators," said Leo Droste,
AMOA's executive director. " The
resolution was passed by the board
of directors and our legal counsel
will be drafting t h e fi n al document
out l ining our stand."
Droste went on to say that video
lottery equipment would be installed
in places where coin-operated
amuseme n t machines are now, and
" in all probability it would create a
decline in income in amuseme n t
and music equipment. "
The AMOA board authorized the
executive committee to assist any
state association in the video lottery
situation .
Droste also stressed that he
believes there is confusion concern-
ing " gray area" games and video
lottery games. " These are two
entire l y different problems," he
said . " Many people are confusing
t he two and you can ' t go from one
t o the other in the sa me breath. "
AMOA has never taken an official
stand on gray area games. " It is a
state problem, but video lotteries
are a separate issue," Droste said . •
'TRACK & FIELD'
COUNTERFEITS SEIZED
Konami Industry Co . Ltd . filed suit
in Kentucky against Litsey Equip-
ment Co . and its owner, James
Litsey, for selling counterfeit ver-
sions of Konami 's Track & Field.
On April 6, Konami 's attorneys,
accompanied by a U.S. marshall ,
served a temporary restraining
order and writ of seizure on Litsey
authorizing them to search the busi-
ness and to seize any counterfeit
copies of Track & Field.
According to one of Konami's
attorneys, David Grace of Finley,
Kumble, Wagner , Heine , Under-
berg, Manley & Casey, the lawsuit
10
was the result of an undercover
investigation by Konami. As part of
t h e investigation , a Ko nami investi-
gator purchased a counterfeit p.c.
board from Litsey after learning that
Litsey had been advertising counter-
feit Track & Field conversion kits.
Based on the results of the investi-
gation , Konami 's attorneys pe r -
suaded a federal co u rt to issue a
search and seizure order and to seal
the court records until the seizure
was completed.
"The seizure netted complete
counterfeit video games, printed
circuit boards , graphics, and busi-
ness records ," Grace said. One of
the distinguishing characteristics of
t h e seized counterfeit Track & Field
games is that they display the name
Hyper Olympic rather than Track &
Field in the attract and coin modes.
Grace said that the counterfeit p.c.
boards were probably produced in
Japan where Track & Field is sold
under the name Hyper Olympic.
According to another Konami
attorney , Curtis Porterfield , the
Litsey seizure was part of Konami 's
nationwide effort to locate and
prosecute manufacturers, distribu-
tors, and operators of counterfeit
PLAY METER. July 1, 1984
l