Nintendo and The Pokémon Company demanded 5 million yen in compensation for patent infringement related to capturing creatures
Kodoani.com – Official website of the game Palworlddeveloped by Pocketpair, just revealed that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court, accusing the game of infringing on three patents related to the design and mechanics of Pokémon-like creatures. Both companies are asking ban for the game Palworld and compensation for damages up to 5 million yen (about US$32,700) plus late payment fees.
Details of Three Patents Prohibited from Infringement
The three patents allegedly infringed include:
Patent No. 7545191: Involves aiming an object towards a character, much like aiming a Pokéball at a Pokémon to initiate combat.
Patent No. 7493117: Refers to the capture of organisms in a field environment.
Patent No. 7528390: Involves riding creatures.
Pocketpair stated that it will continue to defend its position through future legal proceedings. The company initially said it had not received details about specific patents and insisted it would investigate the complaints.
Feedback From The Gaming Community
Since launch, players and critics have pointed out similarities between the creatures in Palworld and Pokémon, especially in the design of the “Pal” creatures. This led to a copyright infringement investigation by The Pokémon Company shortly after Palworld's release.
Information About Palworld IP Release and Expansion
Palworld launched on PS5 in 68 countries on the day September 25 but was not initially released in Japan. The game was then released in Japan on the same day September 27. This survival game is released as Steam Early Access on January 19 and has reached 25 million users in just one month.
Enter JulyPocketpair partnered with Sony Music Entertainment Japan and its subsidiary Aniplex to form a joint venture Palworld Entertainment to develop the game's IP. Recently, Korean developer Krafton signed a licensing agreement with Pocketpair to expand the Palworld IP to mobile platforms.
