News on Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair had gone quiet over the past few weeks, but a new statement from the latter studio has shed some more light on the complaint — specifically, the patents Nintendo claims have been infringed upon and the prescribed fine.
In a new post on the Pocketpair website titled ‘Report on Patent Infringement Lawsuit’, the studio reveals that Nintendo’s claim pertains to three specific patents (7545191, 7493117 and 7528390), all of which were applied for between February and July 2024.
While technically filed after Palworld’s release, the patents are each linked to a pre-established “parent patent” from 2021 — making them valid in this instance.
As noted on Twitter, these are the same patents that analysts assumed may be the crux of Nintendo’s case back in September. They each relate to gameplay mechanics like throwing items to catch creatures (as in a Pokéball / Pal Sphere) and the ability to ride on them.
Pocketpair claims that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company “are seeking an injunction against the game and compensation for a portion of the damages incurred between the date of registration of the patents and the date of filing of this lawsuit”.
According to the studio’s post, this compensation is a payment of five million yen (around £25,000 / $33,000) to both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, with additional “late payment damages” for each.
The Palworld developer concluded its statement by reaffirming that it will fight the case: “We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings”.
Back in September, the game’s PS5 launch was halted in certain countries due to an unspecified reason, though we’d have to imagine the Nintendo lawsuit had no small part to play in the decision.