A friend passed this my way, and I just had to share.

We've all seen the pictures; if not willingly, then when someone else has posted them. And we've all had the same thought running through our minds: "That just isn't right. I'm sure this is a lawsuit just waiting to happen."

And now, finally, justice is ready to be served.

Two Bit News has reported that The Estate of Ron Jeremy (Paul S. Martin) has filed a $69 million lawsuit against Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, who serves as the company's mascot, for stealing and profiting from his likeness for the past 29 years.

The suit claims that the Japanese artist, under the supervision of Nintendo, used Mr. Jeremy's image as the sole model for their most iconic video game character "Mario," from the internationally recognized video game "Mario Bros." Mr. Jeremy's attorney, Todd Ludlow, provided the following statement: "We intend to prove that the accused used our client's image and persona as the basis for creating one of the most legendary characters in video game history. If you look at the facts, it is quite clear where Mr. Miyamoto obtained his ideas. The obvious similarities are the round, overweight stomach and dark mustache. Mario's occupation is a master of piping, and if you go back to the character's debut, his goal is to beat a monkey. We have done our research and the time line matches perfectly. The "Donkey Kong" video game was released in 1981, two years after Ron Jeremy's first "adult video" was released. This is no coincidence."

To find out more about what happened following the filing of the suit, check out the rest of the story at Two Bit News.

I sure hope Nintendo has some good lawyers for this one, they're going to need them. I mean, Mario does look a lot like Ron Jeremy, after all.

For that matter, I wonder if the elusive one-time Nintendo landlord Mario Segale will be called upon to testify... which in itself could be a problem; what if he joins with Jeremy and seeks his own damages?

This could spell the end for Nintendo as we know it! That is, unless they manage to settle out of court, perhaps work out some sort of deal...

Coming soon: Ron Jeremy Kart Wii. How else might the face of Nintendo change in such circumstances?

I think we can all agree on one thing, though: No one would say "Nintendo is for kids" ever again.

And yes, this is a complete and total parody. That is, if you really need to be told. I just like playing along.