Drillimation Systems yesterday announced the successful enforcement and removal of an unauthorized, generative AI-produced image that unlawfully incorporated its signature mascot and central protagonist, Susumu Takajima, from the Chuhou Joutai game franchise.
The infringing visual asset was published on a third-party blog (Nofi Writes) on October 18, 2026, accompanying an unapproved post. The unauthorized generation and distribution of the character violated federal copyright laws, international intellectual property directives, and Drillimation’s strict Game Content and Brand Usage Rules, which explicitly prohibit the use of franchise characters, sprite assets, and intellectual property for unauthorized artificial intelligence training and generation.
The incident happened days after the studio published an article on how Drillimation is joining the film industry to combat unauthorized AI training. Upon discovering the infringement, Drillimation Systems’ legal enforcement team issued a formal Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice directly to the blog operator. Following the notice, the infringing content and unauthorized image were promptly removed.
“The integrity of our creative works and the protection of our characters from unauthorized machine learning exploitation and generative misuse remain our highest priority,” Drillimation Systems founder and CEO Susumu Takajima said in a statement. “We will continue to proactively monitor and aggressively combat intellectual property theft across all digital platforms, ensuring that the hard work of independent developers is vigorously defended worldwide.”
Drillimation Systems remains committed to working alongside creators, platforms, and legal frameworks to safeguard the digital ecosystem against copyright infringement and unauthorized AI slop.
About Drillimation Systems
Drillimation Systems is an independent game development studio renowned for its creative storytelling, distinctive universe building, and the acclaimed Chuhou Joutai danmaku game series. The studio is dedicated to delivering high-quality entertainment while fiercely protecting its proprietary characters, assets, and brand integrity across global markets.
Full Complaint
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Unauthorized Use of Drillimation Properties
To whom it may concern, this notice has been written to you by the founder and CEO of Drillimation Systems (hereinafter “Drillimation”).
Drillimation Systems is the exclusive owner of all copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights for the Susumu Takajima character, as explained in the data below:
- Country of First Publication: United States of America
- Name of Copyright Owner: Drillimation Systems Co., Ltd.
- Year of First Publication: 2014 as their GoAnimate avatar when the studio was founded.
- An example of what the character looks like, and an authorized work featuring the character, can be found at https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/147595447.
Under the provisions set in Section 501 of the United States Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 501), Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790, all relevant clauses of the Berne Convention, and all national laws giving effect thereto, no one is authorized to use the Susumu Takajima character for purposes of AI training without express permission from Drillimation Systems. Whether it is an action figure aimed at children, an anime series or feature film starring him, or a subscription service that distributes high-resolution images or short videos with the character, only Drillimation has the right to commercialize the character. This also violates our Game Content and Brand Usage Rules, located at: https://drillimation.com/game-content-and-brand-usage-rules/
It has come to the attention that your website, located at https://nofiwrites.wordpress.com/, is reproducing, distributing, and/or offering for sale the character. Attached below are the URLs that link to the infringing material:
- https://nofiwrites.wordpress.com/2026/10/18/avengers-assemble-✨
- https://nofiwrites.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/file_0000000037c48208b48dd9ce4313c826.png
We have the good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained was not authorized by Drillimation, its agent, or the law. Drillimation diligently enforces the rights to all of its commercially released content in all forms of media. We take responsibility for the protection of our IP very seriously, and internet service providers can be held liable if they do not respond to copyright infringement claims pursuant to the requirements of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
In accordance with the DMCA, we request the removal of the infringing material from your website and any other sites for which you act as the owner. Failure to comply with this legal request will result in civil liability under 17 U.S.C. § 501.
Under penalty of perjury, we declare that Drillimation Systems is the exclusive owner of the content and that the information above is accurate. Please contact us at drillimationentertainment@gmail.com (recommended) if you have any questions regarding this notice. Nothing in this notice constitutes an express or implied waiver of any rights, remedies, or defenses of Drillimation, all of which are expressly reserved.
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