Category: Nintendo v. Pocketpair (Palworld)

Earlier this year, Nintendo filed another Pokemón-related Japanese patent application, for which it requested an expedited examination. The patent examiner’s first feedback is negative.

The annual report does not specify what litigation(s) is/are responsible for most of that amount. A recent patent settlement could account for a large chunk of it.

Nintendo can now try to convince the examiner that the patent should be upheld. The decision is based on earlier patent applications as opposed to any real-world game.

Public outrage over this started with a games fray article. That Nintendo patent is highly unlikely to survive reexamination. Earlier patent applications by Konami and Nintendo itself are at issue.

Some of the prior art that Nintendo is facing in its infringement litigation with Pocketpair has now also been recognized as relevant by the Japan Patent Office.

Nintendo’s patent assertions against Pocketpair may primarily have the objective to claim credit while actually going in Palworld’s direction.

Nintendo’s position on mods effectively means that modders would be unprotected against someone looking at their works and taking out patents.

Nintendo’s patenting strategy is expansive and aggressive.

Based on a preview, HoYoverse’s upcoming game Nexus Anima implements a technique Nintendo patented and is asserting against Pocketpair’s Palworld.

It is not a sign of strength when a company suing over patents makes rather unusual changes to a patent in the middle of litigation.