Earlier this year, when Palworld was introduced, many thought Nintendo might take legal action because it seemed so much like Pokémon.
Nintendo finally decided to take action in September by suing Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld, in Japan for allegedly copying their ideas. Pocketpair then shared some information about the case, explaining which patents Nintendo is concerned about and how much money they want. According to Pocketpair’s update, Nintendo’s claims revolve around three patents: No. 7545191, No. 7493117, and No. 7528390. These patents, all registered earlier this year, focus on game mechanics like tossing a ball at characters, riding them, and shooting targets, rather than the Pokémon-like creatures themselves.
Nintendo is asking for an injunction against Palworld and about 5 million yen (nearly $33,000 USD) in damages to be paid to both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. This aligns with what Serkan Toto, a game analyst, predicted earlier. He said that the patents Nintendo claimed were infringed would be very detailed, and Pocketpair might have to negotiate with Nintendo in the end.
Despite all this, Pocketpair isn’t slowing down. Palworld recently made its way to PlayStation 5 and even launched in Japan, lawsuit or not. They’ve also teamed up with Sony to create Palworld Entertainment, which will grow the franchise with new products and licensing.
Sometimes, fans just want their favorite games to get along.
