Justin Carter's Info on Palworld v. Nintendo
Palworld developer Pocketpair has shed more light on the specific patent infringement claims Nintendo levvied against it in September.
At the time of the initial suit, the studio alleged it was unaware of what, exactly, Nintendo took umbrage with. Nintendo didn't list specific patents at the time, but not long after Palworld's release in January, said it would determine if the game infringed on its own popular Pokémon series.
The three patents—all filed in Japan between May and July 2024—draw similarities between Palworld and 2022's 2022's Pokémon Legends: Arceus specifically. Their descriptions concern game mechanics like "riding an object" or throwing a ball to capture and possess a character in virtual spaces.
Pocketpair added that Nintendo wants 10 million Yen ($65,450 in USD) in damages, 5 million each for itself and The Pokemon Company, plus late fees and an injunction to block Palworld's release.
My Opinion on the Lawsuit and Patents
In regards to this lawsuit happenning between Palworld and Nintendo, it always semed like something that could happen in the eyes of every person in the world that is aware of Nintendo and it's legal side. I will say, it's quite smart for Palworld to try and question as to what patents Nintendo is trying to sue them for, but it was pretty clear why Nintendo would want to sue in the first place. Palword was always marketing itself as Pokemon but with guns. There are a few unique mechanics to the game that distinguishes itself, but the similarities that it has is definently what's causing this situation to happen in the first place.
Now, I'm not on the side of Nintendo either. We've all seen how infamous Nintendo can be when it delves into its legal side, but that is self explanatory by now. The one reason I am investid in this case, is because it has to deal with patents in video games. My personal take is that patents, should be removed from the industry in general. We really only need copyright rules to prevent a literal rip off of an existing franchise. Patents are something I can only view as a stump in creativity. In an ideal world, people would want to share their breakthroughs and continue to innovate upon each other.
I don't know what the outcome of this case will be, but hopefully the future for patents in video games can be discussed and changed for the better.