The middle of September saw the megahit monster collecting survivalbox Palworld rouse the boundless litigious ire of Nintendo when the latter slapped the former with a Japanese patent lawsuit. Information on just what this suit was claiming wasn’t immediately clear, but there was no shortage of expert analysis, most of whom didn’t believe developer Pocketpair could stand up to the challenge. Now we finally have full details on just what patents Palworld is allegedly infringing upon, and it all frankly reads a bit like Nintendo is playing the part of patent troll.
According to the studio, Palworld allegedly infringes on patented game mechanics involving throwing a ball-shaped device to capture creatures, aiming said device, and riding creatures, though it is noted by The Verge that these patents translations come via Google and therefore more granular detail may be missing. Even so, the three patents in question are continuations filed after Palworld began early access, while their original filings were in 2021.
Pocketpair says that on top of the infringement allegations, it is facing an injunction against Palworld as well as payment of unspecified “late payment damages” and ¥5M each to both Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, which amounts to a total of roughly $66K US. The studio vows that it will “continue to assert [its] position in this case through future legal proceedings” but states that specific details about the case cannot be discussed.
Discounting the late payment damage amounts, the cost for these infringements seem astonishingly small, particularly considering Palworld made massive sales and proliferated to mobile and PlayStation 5. However, as one legal analyst notes, fighting Nintendo in court will likely cost more in terms of money and time, which is likely the flex that Nintendo is using to intimidate the comparatively smaller company.
However, that same analyst also notes that Pocketpair may have a path to victory if the patents are too broad, particularly if Pocketpair can demonstrate prior art or development that shows these mechanics were already in progress before the patents at the center of the suit were filed.
