Nintendo Co. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Tokyo-based Pocketpair Inc., the developer of the popular game Palworld, seeking both an injunction and compensation for damages.
The lawsuit, brought in collaboration with affiliate Pokémon Co., was submitted to the Tokyo District Court on Wednesday, according to a statement from Nintendo the following day.
While the company did not specify the extent of the compensation it seeks, Pocketpair responded by stating it is “unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing” and will conduct an investigation into the claims.
*Palworld*, which quickly became a hit upon its January release, boosted Pocketpair’s profile and earned the nickname “Pokémon with guns” from fans, who noted resemblances between the game’s fantasy creatures and those in Nintendo’s iconic Pokémon franchise.
Patent protection in software typically covers aspects of the user experience rather than character designs, and it appears Nintendo may have identified gameplay elements it believes infringe on its intellectual property.
According to Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda, “Nintendo filing this lawsuit for patent infringement, not copyright violation, means it has abandoned the argument that Palworld’s characters resemble Pokémon’s.
However, this shows Nintendo’s broader ability to challenge games it disapproves of.
The company holds numerous patents related to core game mechanics, which are widely used in many modern titles.”
The lawsuit came unexpectedly after months of silence from both Nintendo and Pokémon Co., despite previous warnings from Pokémon Co. that it had not authorized any use of its intellectual property for Palworld and would act if needed.
Palworld received strong initial backing from Microsoft Corp. for its distribution, and Pocketpair also partnered with Sony Group Corp. to sell merchandise related to the game.
A spokesperson for Sony Music Entertainment Inc., which facilitated the collaboration with Pocketpair, said in an emailed statement that the company was not in a position to comment on the matter.
“Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions to protect its intellectual property rights, including the Nintendo brand itself, safeguarding the intellectual properties it has built over many years,” the company stated.
