Howard Lincoln
Encyclopedia
Howard Charles Lincoln is an American
lawyer and businessman, known primarily for being the former chairman of Nintendo of America
and the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of the Seattle Mariners
baseball
team, representing absentee majority owner Hiroshi Yamauchi
. (In August 2004, Yamauchi's shares were transferred to Nintendo as an estate planning measure, but as he remains chairman emeritus of Nintendo's board of directors, he is still considered the team's owner.)
Born in Oakland, California
, Lincoln was an active Boy Scout
. As a twelve-year old boy, he posed for the famous Norman Rockwell
painting The Scoutmaster, which was published in a calendar in 1956. In the painting, young Lincoln is on the immediate right of the campfire. Lincoln eventually attained the rank of Eagle Scout and received a Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
.
Lincoln matriculated
in 1957 at the University of California, Berkeley
, where he earned his BA
in political science in 1962 and his law degree from Berkeley Law in 1965. From 1966 to 1970, he served as a Naval
lieutenant
within the Judge Advocate General's Corps
. He then worked in private practice as an attorney in Seattle, Washington
. There he did legal work in 1981 for Nintendo, culminating in the legal case Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.
, in which Universal City Studios had sued Nintendo claiming that the video game Donkey Kong
infringed upon Universal City Studio's rights to King Kong
. Lincoln hired John Kirby
to represent Nintendo in the courtroom. Nintendo won the case, as well as successive court appeals.
Lincoln joined Nintendo in 1983 as its Senior Vice President and General Counsel. In 1994, he was appointed its chairman. (He should not be confused with Howard Philips of Nester fame.)
Lincoln would later also be known for his defense of the video game industry during the joint hearings in the early 1990s on video game violence.
In addition to Lincoln's business achievements, he is an active philanthropist. He has served as campaign chair for United Way of King County and the Chief Seattle Council
of the Boy Scouts of America
. He is also a trustee of Western Washington University
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and businessman, known primarily for being the former chairman of Nintendo of America
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team, representing absentee majority owner Hiroshi Yamauchi
Hiroshi Yamauchi
is a Japanese businessman. He was the third president of Nintendo, joining the company in 1949 until stepping down on May 31, 2002, to be succeeded by Satoru Iwata. Yamauchi is credited with transforming Nintendo from a small hanafuda card-making company in Japan to today's multi-billion dollar...
. (In August 2004, Yamauchi's shares were transferred to Nintendo as an estate planning measure, but as he remains chairman emeritus of Nintendo's board of directors, he is still considered the team's owner.)
Born in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, Lincoln was an active Boy Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. As a twelve-year old boy, he posed for the famous Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
painting The Scoutmaster, which was published in a calendar in 1956. In the painting, young Lincoln is on the immediate right of the campfire. Lincoln eventually attained the rank of Eagle Scout and received a Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least 25 years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout...
.
Lincoln matriculated
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
in 1957 at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he earned his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science in 1962 and his law degree from Berkeley Law in 1965. From 1966 to 1970, he served as a Naval
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
within the Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...
. He then worked in private practice as an attorney in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. There he did legal work in 1981 for Nintendo, culminating in the legal case Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. was a case heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Robert W. Sweet. In their complaint, Universal Studios alleged that Nintendo's video game Donkey Kong was a trademark infringement of King Kong, the...
, in which Universal City Studios had sued Nintendo claiming that the video game Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong (video game)
is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981. It is an early example of the platform game genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles. In the game, Jumpman must rescue a damsel in distress, Lady, from a...
infringed upon Universal City Studio's rights to King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
. Lincoln hired John Kirby
John Kirby (attorney)
John J. Kirby, Jr. is an American attorney employed by the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP, that has represented a number of notable corporations in legal disputes. One of his most well-known cases was Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd...
to represent Nintendo in the courtroom. Nintendo won the case, as well as successive court appeals.
Lincoln joined Nintendo in 1983 as its Senior Vice President and General Counsel. In 1994, he was appointed its chairman. (He should not be confused with Howard Philips of Nester fame.)
Lincoln would later also be known for his defense of the video game industry during the joint hearings in the early 1990s on video game violence.
In addition to Lincoln's business achievements, he is an active philanthropist. He has served as campaign chair for United Way of King County and the Chief Seattle Council
Scouting in Washington
Scouting in Washington has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. He is also a trustee of Western Washington University
Western Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...
.