It's official: Palworld has been Nintendo'd as The Pokemon Company files lawsuit against Pocketpair for infringing "multiple patent rights"
Sep. 18, 2024It was only a matter of time
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Well, folks, the moment we all knew was coming for many months now is finally here: The Nintendo-owned Pokemon Company has filed a lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair for patent infringement.
Per a news release fromNintendo, “The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the defendants and compensation for damages, alleging that the game ‘Palworld’ developed and sold by the defendants infringes multiple patents.”
Palworld has drawn comparisons to Pokemon since its launch in January due to the perceived visual similarities of its Pal monsters to Pokemon. Right around the time of Palworld’s viral launch,Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe shot down legal concernsdespite Nintendo’s famously trigger happy legal team, saying “we have absolutely no intention of infringing upon the intellectual property of other companies.”
Nintendo soon after saidit was looking into potential copyright infringementafterpledging to “investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights.”
Now, almost eight months later, we’re seeing that promise being delivered with the first publicly available legal document from Nintendo against Pocketpair.
“In order to protect the valuable intellectual property that we have built up through many years of hard work, we will continue to take the necessary measures against any infringement of our intellectual property, including our brand,” the news release reads.
I’ve reached out to Pocketpair for comment and will update this article if I hear back.
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Meanwhile, thePalworld CEO says turning the hit survival game into a live-service title would “extend its lifespan,” but “the most important thing is whether the players want it”.
After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.
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