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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Palworld developer Pocketpair in Tokyo over alleged patent infringement. Pocketpair’s public statement identifies three Japanese patents—Nos. 7,545,191, 7,493,117 and 7,528,390—and says the plaintiffs are seeking an injunction and ¥5 million plus late-payment damages from each plaintiff. Those are claims and requested remedies, not a court finding or an award.
Which patents are named in the Palworld lawsuit?
Pocketpair’s November 8, 2024 statement names three Japanese patents as the ones at issue. It lists their application and registration dates as follows:
| Japanese patent | Application date stated by Pocketpair | Registration date stated by Pocketpair |
|---|---|---|
| 7,545,191 | July 30, 2024 | August 27, 2024 |
| 7,493,117 | February 26, 2024 | May 22, 2024 |
| 7,528,390 | March 5, 2024 | July 26, 2024 |
Pocketpair says Palworld was released on January 19, 2024. The dates above are the application and registration dates reported by the developer; by themselves, they do not establish what any patent claim covers or whether Palworld infringes it.
What is Nintendo and The Pokémon Company alleging?
Nintendo’s September 19, 2024 announcement says it and The Pokémon Company filed a patent infringement action against Pocketpair in the Tokyo District Court. The plaintiffs seek an injunction and damages, alleging that Palworld infringes multiple patent rights. The public statements identify the patents, but do not provide claim-by-claim infringement arguments or a court’s interpretation of those claims.
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- Officially licensed Palworld merch. Join the hunt and capture all the creatures in this open world survival video game. Weaponize your creatures or put them to work in this unique collecting game.
- Perfect graphic apparel for fans of Video Games, Creature Collecting, Open World Games, Cute Animals, Funny Games, and Pocketpair.
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Some media coverage has associated the dispute with creature capture, battle-related throwing mechanics, and riding or gliding. Those are reported descriptions of the dispute, not authoritative claim language or a judicial finding. The case should be described as a patent infringement action—not a copyright lawsuit.
How much are the plaintiffs seeking?
Pocketpair’s November 8, 2024 statement says the plaintiffs seek an injunction against Palworld and ¥5 million plus late-payment damages payable to The Pokémon Company, and the same amount payable to Nintendo Co., Ltd. These figures describe the requested claims as reported by Pocketpair. They are not damages awarded by a court, and the public statements do not establish that Palworld has been ordered removed.
What changes has Pocketpair made to Palworld?
In a May 8, 2025 statement, Pocketpair said it disputes the infringement claims and asserts that the patents are invalid. It also described changes made while the litigation continued, which it characterized as compromises to avoid disruption to the game’s development and distribution:
- Summoning: Patch v0.3.11, released November 30, 2024, removed the ability to summon Pals by throwing Pal Spheres. The summon instead appears statically next to the player.
- Gliding: From patch v0.5.5, players needed a glider item rather than using a Pal directly as the glider. Pals could still provide passive gliding buffs.
These are Pocketpair’s account of its changes and its reason for making them. They do not show that a court found either feature infringing.
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What is the status of the Japanese case?
A June 12, 2026 AUTOMATON WEST report, citing publicly available Tokyo District Court civil case records and review by its Japanese editorial staff, says the plaintiffs amended the scope of their claims in November 2025 so it applies only to older versions of Palworld. The report also describes a technical briefing on October 1, 2026, and says the court’s preliminary disclosure of its views is due November 9, 2026.
As of October 8, 2026, the November 9 date is still in the future. The available information does not establish the result of the October 1 event, a final judgment, a settlement, or an injunction.
Rank #4
- Officially licensed Palworld merch. Join the hunt and capture all the creatures in this open world survival video game. Weaponize your creatures or put them to work in this unique collecting game.
- Perfect graphic apparel for fans of Video Games, Creature Collecting, Open World Games, Cute Animals, Funny Games, and Pocketpair.
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
How do related patent developments differ from the lawsuit?
Other patent activity connected to Nintendo is not the same proceeding as the Tokyo case. The forum, question being decided, and patent or application involved matter:
Quick Recap
- Tokyo District Court: The lawsuit concerns alleged infringement and requested remedies involving the three Japanese patent numbers Pocketpair identifies.
- United States: A European Commission agency explainer published July 24, 2025 describes U.S. patents granted in December 2024 and February 2025, as well as examination of other applications concerning creature capture and mount switching. It says Nintendo had not taken legal action in the United States at the time the explainer was written. These U.S. developments are not additional patents established as part of the Tokyo complaint.
- Japanese Patent Office: A reported rejection of application JP 2024-031879 concerns a related application, not one of the three patents Pocketpair lists as asserted in the lawsuit. An application rejection is not a ruling in the Palworld infringement case and does not, on its own, invalidate those three patents.
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