In an intriguing twist, Nintendo has successfully secured an anti-Palworld patent in the U.S. This strategic move hints that their legal skirmish with the creators of Palworld might soon spread beyond Japan’s borders.
Back in September 2024, Nintendo, alongside The Pokemon Company, launched a joint legal offensive against Pocketpair, asserting that Palworld has unlawfully appropriated various aspects of their intellectual property. This litigation kicked off in the Tokyo District Court and has so far been confined to Japan. However, Nintendo is advancing its claims by filing for similar patents in the U.S.
According to a report from Games Fray, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has greenlit one of these patents, categorized under number 12,220,638. Published in early February, this document outlines a system for capturing creatures—conceptually aligned with another patent (no. 12,179,111) Nintendo secured late in 2024. Both patents are crucial to the ongoing Palworld dispute.
The narrative deepens, focusing on Nintendo’s intent behind this creature-capture patent. The earlier December patent delineates a system utilizing “first” and “second” operational modes—the initial screen focuses on aiming a device like a Poke Ball, while the subsequent screen is for capturing or engaging the creature in combat. In contrast, the newly obtained patent reframes this setup, opting for terms like “virtual character” instead of “field character.” As explained by Games Fray’s patent analyst Florian Mueller, Pocketpair might contend that Palworld’s mechanics do not align with the dual-mode system described in the older patent. Nintendo’s broader patenting strategy appears to mitigate this by encapsulating a more abstract system, potentially broadening the legal net.
Mueller previously critiqued Nintendo’s legal maneuvering as borderline aggressive, branding it a textbook example of bullying. Nintendo’s effort to patent the core concepts of its Japanese battle with Pocketpair in America suggests it might be gearing up for a more extensive international legal showdown. The final decision to escalate this globally will likely rest on how their current U.S. patent pursuits pan out.
Meanwhile, not all of Nintendo’s patent pursuits have gone smoothly. In early December 2024, another U.S. patent application (No. 18/652,883) faced significant pushback, with the USPTO rejecting most claims—32 out of 33 to be precise. The sole surviving claim envisions a system where virtual creatures can be switched instantly by the player. The USPTO has indicated that, should Nintendo choose to present it separately, this particular claim stands a chance of approval. Consequently, in February 2025, Nintendo’s legal team requested a meeting with a patent examiner to delve deeper into the matter, aiming to secure more favorable outcomes for their claims.
As the situation unfolds, gaming enthusiasts and legal watchers alike are keenly observing how Nintendo’s patent tactics might shape the trajectory of this high-stakes dispute with Palworld’s developers.
