Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced on September 19 that they have filed a joint patent infringement lawsuit against Tokyo-based game studio Pocketpair in the Tokyo District Court. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against Pocketpair's hit monster-collecting survival title Palworld and compensation for damages, claiming that the game infringes multiple patent rights held by Nintendo and its affiliated Pokémon franchise.
Palworld debuted in Early Access in January 2024 and instantly became a global gaming phenomenon, selling over 15 million copies on Steam and registering over 10 million players on Xbox within a single month. The game, widely dubbed 'Pokémon with guns' by players and social media commentators, combines creature capture mechanics with base-building, survival crafting, and third-person shooting.
Focus on Mechanics Rather Than Copyright
While early community discussions focused on whether creature art styles infringed Pokémon copyrights, Nintendo's lawsuit specifically targets mechanical and gameplay patent violations rather than copyright law. Legal analysts point to Nintendo's registered patents covering creature-capture spheres and real-time field navigation.
Pocketpair responded with a public statement confirming receipt of the lawsuit notification, expressing regret for causing concern among its community while asserting that it will commence appropriate legal investigations into Nintendo's claims. The indie studio noted that it had not yet been notified of which specific patent numbers Nintendo claims were violated.
“Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights including the Nintendo brand itself.”
Pocketpair Pledges Defense of Indie Gaming
Intellectual property attorneys emphasize that patent disputes in Japan can result in substantial operational injunctions if courts determine that protected gameplay mechanics were utilized without licensing agreements.
Pocketpair reaffirmed its dedication to supporting and updating Palworld for its global community as court proceedings get underway in Tokyo.
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