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Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Palworld developer Pocketpair in Tokyo over alleged Japanese patent infringement—not a court-proven copyright claim about character resemblance. Pocketpair has said it will keep contesting the case. The latest located account of the court proceedings, dated July 2026, said the case was still pending; the available information does not confirm whether a reported October 1 briefing took place or whether the court has acted since.
Why are Nintendo and The Pokémon Company suing Pocketpair?
Nintendo announced on September 19, 2024, that it and The Pokémon Company had filed suit against Pocketpair the day before in the Tokyo District Court. Nintendo said the action alleged that Palworld infringed multiple patent rights and sought an injunction and damages. That describes the plaintiffs’ allegations and requested remedies, not a finding by the court.
The case is about alleged patent infringement in Japan. It should not be described as a lawsuit over copyright infringement merely because Palworld creatures have been compared with Pokémon characters. The materials available here do not establish a court finding on infringement, validity, or liability.
Which patents did Pocketpair say were at issue?
Pocketpair initially said it had received notice of a patent-infringement suit but had not yet been told which specific patents were involved. On November 8, 2024, it identified three Japanese patents:
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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
- Japanese Patent No. 7,545,191: application filed July 30, 2024; registered August 27, 2024.
- Japanese Patent No. 7,493,117: application filed February 26, 2024; registered May 22, 2024.
- Japanese Patent No. 7,528,390: application filed March 5, 2024; registered July 26, 2024.
Pocketpair said Palworld had been released on January 19, 2024, and described the plaintiffs’ compensation request as covering a portion of damages from patent registration through the lawsuit filing. These are details reported by Pocketpair; they do not establish that the patents were infringed.
How much money are the plaintiffs asking for?
Pocketpair reported that The Pokémon Company sought ¥5 million plus late-payment damages, and Nintendo sought the same amount. That makes ¥10 million combined before late-payment damages, according to Pocketpair’s November 8, 2024 statement. The reported claim is not ¥500 million.
The plaintiffs also sought an injunction against Palworld, according to Nintendo’s announcement. An injunction is a request for the court to order conduct to stop; its inclusion in the complaint does not mean one was granted.
What have the parties said?
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company
Nintendo’s September 19, 2024 announcement said the companies had brought the case over alleged infringement of multiple patents and were seeking an injunction and damages. This is the plaintiffs’ position.
Pocketpair
After first saying it would begin legal proceedings and investigate the allegations, Pocketpair identified the patents and amounts it said were claimed. In its November 8, 2024 statement, the company said: “We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.” That is Pocketpair’s stated stance, not a ruling or a prediction of the result.
Did Nintendo win the Palworld lawsuit?
No outcome is established by the latest located court-status account. A patent-attorney explainer published July 14, 2026, reported that the case remained pending in the Tokyo District Court as of July 8, 2026, with no judgment, settlement, or injunction issued by then. It attributed later scheduled dates to media reports, rather than establishing that those events had occurred.
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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
The explainer listed a technical briefing for October 1, 2026, and preliminary disclosure for November 9, 2026. As of October 8, 2026, the available information does not verify whether the October briefing took place or whether there has been later court activity. The November date was still in the future when this article’s status is assessed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did the Japanese patent office invalidate the patents in the lawsuit?
No. AUTOMATON WEST reported on July 22, 2026, that Japan’s Patent Office (JPO) sustained rejection of a separate divisional application, No. 2026-019762, concerning a patent related to capturing monsters in a game. The report described the office’s reasoning as involving inventive step and prior gameplay material.
That application was separate from the registered patents Pocketpair identified in the court case. Its rejection did not invalidate those asserted patents and did not decide whether Palworld infringed them. It is therefore inaccurate to treat the JPO report as a court victory for Pocketpair or as a resolution of the lawsuit.
What remains unresolved?
The central unresolved issue is the court case itself: the available July 2026 status account did not report a decision on infringement, patent validity, or remedies. The October 1 briefing’s occurrence and any developments after that account are also unconfirmed here. Neither the parties’ opposing positions nor the separate JPO decision substitutes for a court ruling.
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