Nintendo, Pokemon Co. sue ‘Palworld’ maker over patent infringement

Sep 19, 2024

Jack Aylmer Anchor

By Jack Aylmer (Anchor), Brock Koller (Senior Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor )

Nintendo and the Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit Wednesday, Sept. 18, in Tokyo against Pocketpair, accusing the video game maker of patent infringement. Pocketpair is the company behind the popular survival adventure video game “Palworld,” known by fans as “Pokémon with guns.”

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In a statement released Thursday, Sept. 19, Nintendo said, “This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights.”

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Released in January 2024, “Palworld” became a surprise hit, selling more than 5 million copies in its first three days. In the game, players use guns to capture creatures known as “pals.”

On its website, Pocketpair says “Palworld” is “home to over 100 unique pals, each equipped with a diverse set of skills to enhance the player’s adventure. Along your journey, you will also encounter formidable boss pals… Naturally, these boss pals are also capturable.”

As for “Pokémon, The Pokémon Company’s website said the world of Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and features “creatures of all shapes and sizes who live alongside humans. People known as Pokémon trainers form lasting friendships with their Pokémon partners, and as a team, they go on adventures, train to improve their skills, and battle in friendly competitions.”

Pocketpair said in a statement of its own on Thursday, Sept. 19, it was alerted of the lawsuit on Sept. 18.

“At this moment, we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon, and we have not been notified of such details,” Pocketpair said.

Pocketpair, which describes itself as a small indie game company whose goal is to “create fun games,” said it will begin “appropriate legal proceedings.”

“It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit,” Pocketpair said. “However, we will do our utmost for our fans, and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas.

In July 2024, Pocketpair announced a partnership with Sony to promote the licensing of “Palworld” globally in a new joint venture called “Palworld Entertainment.” Nintendo, in the meantime, said it will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement “to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years.”

Tags: Copyright infringement, Japan, Lawsuit, Nintendo, Tokyo, video games

[JACK AYLMER]

MORE THAN 13 THOUSAND PLAYERS AND FANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TRAVELED TO HAWAII LAST MONTH FOR THE 2024 POKEMON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

COMPETITORS BATTLED EACH OTHER IN POKEMON TRADING CARD AND VIDEO GAME TOURNAMENTS.

THE FEELING OF TOGETHERNESS WAS STRONG INSIDE THE HAWAII CONVENTION CENTER – WITH THE THEME SONG FOR THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION CALLED “TOGETHER WE’RE HOME.”

BUT THAT FEELING OF TOGETHERNESS IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND THIS WEEK – AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO POKEMON AND THE COMPANY POCKETPAIR — THE MAKER OF THE SURVIVAL ADVENTURE VIDEO GAME “PALWORLD” – A POPULAR GAME THAT HAS BEEN DUBBED BY FANS AS “POKEMON WITH GUNS.”

NINTENDO AND THE POKEMON COMPANY FILING A LAWSUIT AGAINST POCKETPAIR IN TOKYO ON WEDNESDAY SAYING THE SUIT “seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld…infringes multiple patent rights.”

RELEASED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR – “PALWORLD” BECAME A SURPRISE HIT – SELLING MORE THAN FIVE MILLION COPIES IN ITS FIRST THREE DAYS. PLAYERS USE GUNS TO CAPTURE CREATURES KNOWN AS “PALS.”

ON ITS WEBSITE, POCKETPAIR SAYS PALWORLD IS “HOME TO OVER 100 UNIQUE PALS, EACH EQUIPPED WITH A DIVERSE SET OF SKILLS TO ENHANCE THE PLAYER’S ADVENTURE. ALONG YOUR JOURNEY, YOU WILL ALSO ENCOUNTER FORMIDABLE BOSS PALS…NATURALLY, THESE BOSS PALS ARE ALSO CAPTURABLE.”

SO IF THOSE ARE PALS – WHAT OFFICIALLY ARE POKEMON?

ITS WEBSITE SAYS THE WORLD OF POKEMON WAS LAUNCHED IN JAPAN IN 1996 AND FEATURES “CREATURES OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES WHO LIVE ALONGSIDE HUMANS. PEOPLE KNOWN AS POKÉMON TRAINERS FORM LASTING FRIENDSHIPS WITH THEIR POKÉMON PARTNERS, AND AS A TEAM, THEY GO ON ADVENTURES, TRAIN TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS, AND BATTLE IN FRIENDLY COMPETITIONS.”

POCKETPAIR SAYING IN A STATEMENT OF ITS OWN IT WAS ALERTED OF THE LAWSUIT ON WEDNESDAY.

SAYING “At this moment, we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon, and we have not been notified of such details.”

POCKETPAIR – WHICH DESCRIBES ITSELF AS A SMALL INDIE GAME COMPANY WHOSE GOAL IS TO “CREATE FUN GAMES” SAYS IT WILL BEGIN “APPROPRIATE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. THE COMPANY ADDING QUOTE “IT IS TRULY UNFORTUNATE” THAT IT WILL “BE FORCED TO ALLOCATE SIGNIFICANT TIME TO MATTERS UNRELATED TO GAME DEVELOPMENT DUE TO THIS LAWSUIT.”

IN JULY – POCKETPAIR ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH SONY TO PROMOTE THE LICENSING OF PALWORLD GLOBALLY IN A NEW JOINT VENTURE CALLED “PALWORLD ENTERTAINMENT.”

NINTENDO IN THE MEANTIME SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE NECESSARY ACTIONS AGAINST ANY INFRINGEMENT…TO QUOTE “PROTECT THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES IT HAS WORKED HARD TO ESTABLISH OVER THE YEARS.”

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER.
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