The legal defense used by indie titlePalworldagainst Nintendo and the Pokémon Company hinges on other large titles, according to new information. The monster-collecting, base-building game from small development studio Pocketpair was a huge hit when it launched in January of last year. Its resemblance toPokémonhas caused it some serious trouble, though, as the company was sued last year for allegedly infringing on several monster-catching patents owned by the larger development studios.
Pocketpair’s legal stance attempts to prove that the two companies didn’t “invent” the mechanics which they own the patent for, citing titles likeMonster Hunter 4G, The Legend of Zelda, Ark: Survival Evolved,and many others in its defense.Games Fraybreaks down the strategy that Pocketpair is using to fight back against the lawsuit, as spotted byVideo Games Chronicle. If Pocketpair wins this battle, it could have wider ramifications for the video game creators,taking a step toward preventing large companies from monopolizing the industry.
Pocketpair Argues Against Nintendo Patents
The Company Is Claiming That Nintendo Has No Grounds For Legal Action
Preliminary briefs filed by Pocketpair seem to be going after the validity of the patents themselves, claiming that the patents-in-suit shouldn’t have been granted in the first place. To prove this, Pocketpair mentions many othergames that had the patented elements before Nintendo claims to have “invented” them, making the patents invalid.
For instance, Pocketpair notes thatRune Factory 5, Titanfall 2, Pikmin 3 Deluxe,and even Pocketpair’s ownCraftopiaall had a mechanic involving using balls to capture and release characters like monsters to battle. The filings also list several games likeFinal Fantasy XIV, Tomb Raider, Far Cry 5,and others that utilized other aspects of related patents before the patents were created.
Since the legal fight began,Palworldhas changed the mechanic for summoning monsters toremove thePokémon-like element of the Pal Sphere, possibly in response to the lawsuit.
These games already existed before Nintendo filed the original patent application. If the court agrees with the indie company, this wouldpotentially prove that Pokémon and Nintendo didn’t invent the ideas protected in the patent,and therefore shouldn’t have the rights to them.
Palworld’s Legal Battle Against Nintendo And Pokémon Continues
The Small Indie Company Is Prepared To Fight
Palworld has been engaged in alegal battle with thePokémonCompanyand Nintendo since September of last year, when the two game industry giants went after the indie developer Pocketpair. The game had been receiving comparisons to the other famous monster-collecting title, withmany referring to it as “Pokémon with guns,“a descriptor that Pocketpair has sinceasked people to stop using.
The large names after the company don’t seem to scare it, though. Pocketpair has stated that it doesn’t plan to back down, and means to fight back against the Pokémon Company and Nintendo, a statement that made the studio even more popular in the West but drew ire from some Japanese gaming communities. Meanwhile,Palworldcontinues to expand undeterred, withexpansions, collaborations and events continuing as planned, as well as console expansion and arecently introduced crossplay updateto bring the game to an even larger audience.
