Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are jointly suing Palworld developer Pocketpair, alleging infringement of “multiple patent rights” in the design of the game. The lawsuit has been filed in the Tokyo District Court, and reportedly seeks both an injunction against this infringement, and compensation for damages.
This follows much debate around Palworld and its similarities to Pokemon, including ample debate about some Pal designs that appear to resemble Pokemon. As this debate kicked off around the launch of the game in early 2024, Nintendo issued a public statement that it would investigate the game and take action where necessary.
“We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024,” the company said in a late January. “We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokemon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokemon.”
A period of silence following this statement indicated that legal proceedings would not go ahead, but it does appear Nintendo and The Pokemon Company will now pursue the matter in a court of law.
“The Pokemon Company, together with Nintendo Co., Ltd., filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo Distrct Court against Pocketpair, Inc … on 18 September 2024,” it has said in a new statement. “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.”
Read: Pocketpair says it will fight Palworld lawsuit for all indie devs
“Nintendo will continue to take appropriate actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights.”
Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe did recently share that Palworld had been cleared in legal reviews, and the team was reportedly not expecting a legal case against it. The company has now responded in full to news of this lawsuit, promising to pursue the matter and defend itself from the allegations.
In the weeks and months ahead, we’re likely to hear plenty more about this case, as Nintendo pursues its case against Pocketpair. Currently, it’s unclear whether this complication will have an impact on ongoing game development at the studio, and plans to expand Palworld. Stay tuned for more.
