Nintendo Co and The Pokémon Company have filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair, the developers of the game Palworld, accusing them of infringing on intellectual property rights…
The lawsuit, filed on September 18, 2024, with the Tokyo District Court, aims to halt further violations and seek compensation for the alleged unauthorized use of Pokémon-related intellectual property.
The dispute began in January when The Pokémon Company raised concerns over the similarities between Palworld and the Pokémon franchise. Although Nintendo's CEO, Shuntaro Furukawa, had vowed to protect the company's rights, he did not directly mention Pocketpair or Palworld at the time.
In a press release, Nintendo stated that the lawsuit seeks both an injunction and damages, alleging that Palworld violated several of its patent rights. However, specific details of the patents in question were not disclosed.
Following the lawsuit's announcement, Pocketpair’s global community manager, Bucky, tweeted a smile and soon deleted it. The developers later formally responded, confirming they were notified of the lawsuit and would begin the necessary legal steps. Pocketpair, a small indie studio, noted that they had yet to receive details on the specific patents involved.
At the same time, lawyers clarified that the issue concerned patent infringement, not copyright or trademark violations.
The controversy around Palworld grew after its viral release, with many users accusing the game of copying Pokémon designs, which sparked a wide discussion among gamers and drew the attention of Pokémon’s rights holders.
Pocketpair denied the accusations, stating their focus was on creating fun games for their audience.
P.S. Despite the legal challenge, the studio apologizes for any concerns and promises to remain dedicated to their fans…
