Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, seeking restitution for damages.
On January 24, amidst the rising popularity of Palworld, The Pokemon Company responded to allegations that the game mimics Pokemon, indicating their intent to investigate the matter.
Nintendo’s CEO, Shuntaro Furukawa, also addressed the concerns surrounding potential infringement of their intellectual property, asserting their commitment to safeguard their franchise.
In the subsequent months, the developers of Palworld confirmed that they had not received any communication from Nintendo regarding the allegations.
However, this changed on September 19, when Nintendo and The Pokemon Company announced the filing of a joint patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair.
Following the launch of Palworld, allegations surfaced claiming it to be a copycat of Pokemon.
The lawsuit, filed on September 18 in the Tokyo District Court, is seeking compensation for damages purportedly caused by Pocketpair’s infringement of Pokemon’s intellectual property rights.
“This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages based on the claim that Palworld, a game developed by the Defendant, has infringed multiple patent rights,” states Nintendo in their press release.
“Nintendo will continue to take necessary measures to combat any infringement of its intellectual property rights, including those pertaining to the Nintendo brand itself, in order to protect the valuable intellectual properties it has diligently developed over the years.”
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