The Legal Battle Continues
The legal dispute between Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld, rages on. Since its release in January 2024, Palworld has drawn comparisons to the beloved Pokémon series due to its creature-catching and survival gameplay.
A Unique Defense Strategy
The lawsuit filed in September 2024 by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company alleges patent infringement by Pocketpair, specifically in regards to the use of spheres to capture creatures. In an unexpected move, Pocketpair’s defense highlighted an eight-year-old mod for Grand Theft Auto V that featured similar mechanics. This argument challenges the exclusivity of Nintendo’s patents.
Nintendo, on the other hand, dismisses the relevance of mods as “prior art” and argues that they should not be equated to a fully developed game like Palworld. The case’s outcome remains uncertain, but it has the potential to establish new precedents in the protection of game mechanics. Despite the legal battle, Pocketpair is focusing on finalizing Palworld for its upcoming 1.0 release next year.
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