Nintendo Takes Legal Action Against Palworld Over Patent Infringement

Nintendo, in collaboration with The Pokémon Company, has officially filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair. The lawsuit, which alleges that the game infringes on "multiple patent rights," was announced through a statement on Nintendo's Japan website.

The statement details that the lawsuit was filed in the Tokyo District Court on September 18, with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company seeking an injunction to stop the alleged infringement, alongside compensation for damages. According to the companies, Palworld violates several of their patent rights, and they are taking firm legal action to protect their intellectual property.

Nintendo also emphasized in the post that it will continue to take any necessary steps to safeguard the intellectual property it has built over the years. At this time, no further details have been provided, and Pocketpair has yet to issue a public response.

Nintendo Takes Action Against Palworld

Speculation about Nintendo taking legal action against Palworld has been circulating for a while, with comparisons to Pokémon emerging even before the game’s official release. When Palworld launched in early access earlier this year, many fans in the Pokémon community began raising concerns about certain monster designs, arguing that they closely resembled Pokémon and calling the designs “lazy” and “questionable.”

The rising chatter around Palworld prompted Nintendo to address the issue. The company acknowledged receiving "numerous inquiries" about potential plagiarism in the game and stated that it was investigating both Palworld and its developer Pocketpair. At the time, Nintendo assured fans that it would take "appropriate measures" if any intellectual property violations were discovered. That was back in January, and until now, no further updates on the legal front had emerged.

Given the complexities of legal proceedings, it's not surprising that the lawsuit has only just been filed—nine months after Palworld's early access launch. It remains to be seen what impact this lawsuit will have on the game's future, but it's clear that the resolution of the case could take an equally long time, if not longer.