Palworld Details Exactly Why Nintendo And The Pokémon Company Are Suing Them For A Lot Of Yen
Three Japanese patents are at play here, as early speculation pointed out.
Palworld creators Pocktpair have released new information on the lawsuit Nintendo brought against the monster-taming game in September. Now remember, this lawsuit has been filed in Japan, so I'll refrain on much speculation here not being as familiar with Japanese law as I am with U.S. law.
That said, Pocketpair has decided it will publicly release information when it feels the public should know new details rather than respond to individual requests for updates from outlets such as ours. In the announcement, Pocketpair details that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are seeking "Payment of 5 million yen plus late payment damages" for each company on the plaintiffs' side.
Now the 5 million yen part isn't actually a lot of cash, it's a little under $33,000 to each company. That "late payment damages" is a bit of a mystery at the moment. That number would be decided by a court.
The plaintiffs are also seeking an injunction against Palworld. Obviously that part would hurt Pocketpair quite a bit as it would cut off the game's revenue streams.
The case hinges on 3 patents that Nintendo has in Japan. All three were applied for and registered in 2024. Early speculation from some thought these would be the patents in play and Nintendo is trying to get these patents in the U.S., too. Don't be deceived by the dates, though. Nintendo is being a little sneaky here. Sure, these patents were filed for AFTER the launch of Palworld, but the company is listing them as patents under a "Parent Patent" the company has held since 2021.
The first two patents, Patent No. 7545191 and Patent No. 7493117, focus on the act of throwing a ball to capture things in video games and aiming that action with odds of capture displayed, respectively. One of the images on the first patent is shown below. The third patent, Patent No. 7528390, focuses on how to board and ride other characters in a game.
Pocketpair says it will not be backing down and will defend itself in court.
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About the Author
Mike “Magicman” Byrne has been a part of the MMOBomb family for years and serves as the site’s current Editor-in-Chief. His love for MMOs and gaming in general has led him to covering games for numerous gaming websites including Gamebreaker TV and XIV Nation where he proudly displays his fanboy flag for FFXIV:ARR.
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