Pocketpair, the studio behind the game Palworld, has provided insights into the patent infringement lawsuit filed against it by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in September. The plaintiffs are pursuing an injunction against Palworld, a survival game featuring creatures that purportedly resemble those in the Pokémon franchise. Additionally, they are seeking over JPY 5 million (approximately Rs. 27.7 lakh) in damages from the developer.
Nintendo, The Pokémon Company Pursue Legal Action
In a statement released on Friday, Pocketpair detailed the ongoing legal dispute, highlighting three specific patents that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company allege have been violated.
“The Plaintiffs contend that ‘Palworld,’ which we launched on January 19, 2024, infringes on the following three patents held by them, seeking both an injunction against the game and compensation for damages incurred between the dates of patent registration and the lawsuit’s filing,” the developer stated in a news post on its website.
The patents in question include numbers 7545191, 7493117, and 7528390. Pocketpair noted that all of these patents were applied for and registered following Palworld’s release date.
The lawsuit details that both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are looking for an injunction against Palworld, along with seeking a payment of JPY 5 million each, plus additional penalties for late payment. “We will persist in asserting our position in this matter through ongoing legal proceedings,” the developer affirmed.
The legal actions initiated by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company against Pocketpair started in September. In a previous statement, Pocketpair expressed its disappointment: “It is truly unfortunate that we will be compelled to devote substantial time to issues outside of game development due to this lawsuit.”
Since its debut in January on Steam and Xbox, Palworld garnered significant attention, but also faced allegations of plagiarism regarding its creature designs. The game features Pokémon-like animals, or Pals, that players can capture and train for various activities within its expansive open world, which has led to its description as “Pokémon with Guns.”
In the aftermath of Palworld’s release, The Pokémon Company, which oversees the intellectual property rights associated with Pokémon, announced plans to investigate any potential copyright violations linked to the game. “We have not authorized any usage of Pokémon-related intellectual property or assets in this game. We intend to thoroughly investigate and take necessary actions to counter any infringements on our intellectual property rights,” the company stated.
