Nintendo, Pokemon Sue Palworld Developer

Jiji Press

12:52 JST, September 20, 2024

KYOTO (Jiji Press) — Video game giant Nintendo Co. and Pokemon Co., a Nintendo affiliate, said Thursday that they have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against the maker of the adventure game “Palworld.”

Palworld, released by Tokyo-based video game developer Pocketpair Inc., has attracted controversy for its similarities to the “Pocket Monster” game series produced by Pokemon.

In the lawsuit, filed with Tokyo District Court on Wednesday, Nintendo and Pokemon claim that Palworld infringes multiple patent rights, seeking damages and an injunction against the alleged infringement.

The two companies said in a statement, “Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights, including the Nintendo brand itself.”

Palworld is a game in which players can capture fictional creatures called “Pals” and explore a virtual world together. It was released in January and attracted more than 25 million users within a month.

In July, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., under the wing of Sony Group Corp., said it will start a licensing business for Palworld domestically and internationally.