Nintendo and Pokémon’s Lawsuit Against Palworld: Patents, Fines, and Legal Battle Unfold
Pocketpair has revealed the patents for which Nintendo and Pokemon Games filed a lawsuit in September 2024. Additionally, the Palworld developer has confirmed that Nintendo is also seeking late fees, a 5 million fine, and an injunction against the game.
Nintendo Palworld Lawsuit Patent
The Pokemon Company has filed a lawsuit against Palworld over three patents, patent numbers 7545191, 7493117, and 7528390. These patents claim activities similar to Pokemon with ‘191 focusing on throwing a ball at characters in a field, ‘117 related to aiming, and ‘390 about riding characters. However, there is still a lot to uncover in the Japanese patent language and laws to fully understand the lawsuit.
Image – Palworld
In nine months, Palworld broke Steam records and sold more than 12 million copies, followed by a lawsuit from Nintendo and the Pokemon Company. By this time, Nintendo has already made a statement that they are aware of the Palworld game and they will be investigating the design, theme, or character theft from their monster-catching games.
The lawsuit has caused a delay in Palworld‘s PS5 launch in Japan, but it hasn’t stopped the development of a mobile version of the game, which is being handled by Krafton, the publisher of PUBG Mobile. Pocketpair, the game’s developer, responded by saying they would continue to defend their position through future legal proceedings.
A Growing Wave: Series of Lawsuits Targeting Japanese Games
Months after Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Palworld, Sega also filed a lawsuit against the Japanese game, Memento Mori, citing five patents. In the case of Palworld, there were some direct references to the Pokemon games and challenges for Nintendo. The lawsuit was much anticipated which surprisingly came much later from Nintendo.
It was not the same with Sega, as there were inadequate challenges or satirical references from Memento Mori. Sega is seeking a damage amount of 1 billion Yen with an injunction on the game. While this amount may not make a difference for Sega, it will surely damage the Bank of Innovation.
The growing number of lawsuits against Japanese games, including those filed by Nintendo and Sega, highlights the increasing risk on game designs and intellectual property. As developers like Pocketpair and the makers of Memento Mori face legal challenges, the gaming industry’s battle over originality and patents is far from over.
