Palworld dev faces an injunction and $65,000 fine in Nintendo’s Pokemon lawsuit

Palworld developer Pocketpair shares the details of Nintendo’s patent infringement lawsuit, which includes an injunction and a $65,000 fine.

Palworld maker Pocketpair shares the details of its ongoing patent infringement lawsuit with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company. First detailed in September, we now have a closer understanding of what Nintendo is looking for. Rather than considering Pal designs, the lawsuit targets specific in-game mechanics, as the plaintiffs seek an injunction on the creature-collecting survival game alongside a heavy fine for damages.

“As announced on September 19 2024, The Pokemon Company and Nintendo Co., Ltd. have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against us,” a new statement from the Palworld developer explains. In response to multiple queries about the status of the lawsuit around the open-world game, the studio is reporting the current details of the case.

The claims relate to infringements on three patents, which are not related to character designs, focusing instead on specific gameplay mechanics including the ability to catch creatures in a ball or to ride them around the world. It’s also worth noting that all three patents – numbers 7545191, 7439117, and 7528390 – were registered in 2024, after the initial release of Palworld.

Pocketpair’s statement says Nintendo is seeking three things: An injunction against Palworld, and two separate payments of “five million yen plus late payment damages” to Nintendo and The Pokemon Company.

That currently translates to just over $65,000 in total. While it’s not established exactly what the injunction would entail, it’s possible that Nintendo is seeking to block the game’s sale in relevant territories such as Japan.

Pocketpair says it “will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings,” and notes that it will not respond individually to further inquiries regarding the case, but will announce relevant details publicly as needed.

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