Pocketpair, Inc., the developers behind Palworld, which has been referred to as the "Pokemon with guns" game, is now facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from Nintendo and The Pokemon Company. It has been revealed by Nintendo that Pocketpair's development of the game violated Pokemon's intellectual property rights, and it is now taking action.
This lawsuit comes after Nintendo and The Pokemon Company's investigation on the alleged infringement committed by the controversial Palworld.
'Palworld,' Pocketpair Face a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Nintendo has shared its latest statement, which reveals that it has a filed a lawsuit together with The Pokemon Company in response to the alleged infringement committed by Pocketpair, Inc. At the center of this lawsuit is the controversial and critically-acclaimed game Palworld as Nintendo is claiming that the defendant "infringes multiple patent rights."
It has been revealed by Nintendo that the lawsuit was filed to protect both their and The Pokemon Company's intellectual properties.
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company are Gunning for Pocketpair
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are gunning for Pocketpair and Palworld in this lawsuit as both are also seeking an injunction via their latest filing in the Tokyo District Court. Should Nintendo win this case, it is also asking for compensation for the damages against its IP.
This comes after a statement was released by The Pokemon Company earlier this year where it announced an investigation against Pocketpair for its alleged infringement of Pokemon's patents. However, there were no follow up updates from the company in the past months regarding this investigation.
With this lawsuit, Nintendo has made a statement against other video game copycats, claiming that it will "take necessary actions" against those who will infringe on its intellectual property rights, which also includes the "Nintendo" brand.
'Pokemon' with Guns: 'Palworld's' Rise to Stardom
The gaming industry was taken storm when Pocketpair first introduced Palworld to the global audience, touting a new fictional fantasy world where their trusty companions can use guns and violence during combat. Since then, it has been dubbed as "Pokemon with guns," and with its early 2024 release, it has gained significant popularity despite being a work in progress.
Palworld smashed multiple records, including Steam's all-time player records as it was able to sell four million copies in only three days, ranking it among the best releases of the year. However, this put them right in the crosshairs of Nintendo and The Pokemon Company as the public has thrown AI and plagiarism allegations against them.
While Pocketpair has denied all of these claims, The Pokemon Company has taken it upon themselves to investigate the game. Several months after this, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are now ready with their lawsuit against Palworld, taking the infringement allegation to the Japanese court.
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