Japan’s patent office denied a Nintendo request regarding its legal case against Palworld, stating the application wasn’t new or unique. This decision casts doubt on the strength of several Nintendo patents that cover creature-catching mechanics – the very thing Nintendo is accusing Palworld of copying.
September 19th marked one year since Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Palworld’s developer, Pocketpair. They claim Palworld copies features from their games related to catching creatures and swapping between rideable creatures. The lawsuit is currently with the Tokyo District Court and hasn’t gone to trial yet.
JPO Says Nintendo’s Monster Capture Patent Application Isn’t Original
In late October 2025, Japan’s patent office denied Nintendo’s patent application (number 2024-031879). This application covers technology related to capturing creatures, and it’s part of the legal case where the game Palworld is accused of copying ideas. The patent examiner determined the application wasn’t original enough to be patented, pointing to existing games like Monster Hunter 4, ARK: Survival Evolved, Kantai Collection, Pocketpair’s Craftopia, and Pokemon GO as prior examples. All of these games were released before the December 2021 date Nintendo originally claimed for the application.
JPO / Games Fray Nintendo’s Palworld Lawsuit Suddenly Looks Shakier
As a Nintendo fan, I was a little worried to hear about this patent application getting rejected, but thankfully it doesn’t seem to directly affect the Palworld lawsuit. Still, it’s a bit concerning because Florian Mueller, a really sharp analyst over at Games Fray, pointed out that this application is actually super important to Nintendo’s overall plan for protecting their creature-capture technology. Basically, it’s connected to two other patents that are part of the Palworld case – it builds on one older patent and is the foundation for another. Nintendo has until the end of December 2025 to either fix the application or appeal the decision, so hopefully they can get it sorted out!
When a key patent in a group is invalidated, other related patents often come under closer examination and could be challenged. Although this particular rejection doesn’t directly impact the current legal case, it could help Pocketpair argue that Nintendo’s claims against Palworld are invalid. The judge overseeing the case, Motoyuki Nakashima, isn’t legally required to follow the JPO’s decision, but it could still factor into his thinking.
A key patent involved in the legal battle is also running into issues. This patent (JP7528390) covers a system for switching between different experiences, and Nintendo attempted to revise it during the initial stages of the Palworld lawsuit in July. It’s rare to change a patent while a lawsuit is happening, and the wording Nintendo proposed was particularly unclear, according to one expert. This revision caused delays in the case, forcing the court to review certain aspects again. As a result, the lawsuit is now predicted to last well into 2026.
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- 12 Saddest Backstories in My Hero Academia, Ranked
- Brent Oil Forecast
- The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion Remastered Guide – How To Sell Stolen Goods
- Jujutsu Kaisen: Gege Confirms Yuji Itadori’s New Role in JJK Modulo
- Monster Hunter Wilds Tempered Gore Magala Guide: How To Defeat, Weaknesses, and More
- Obi-Wan Star Cards: Ranked
- Dead Cells, Rogue Legacy 2, And Other Roguevanias To Best Understand The Genre
- Top 8 UFC 5 Perks Every Fighter Should Use
- EUR ZAR PREDICTION
2025-10-29 19:10