The US Patent Office is taking another look at one of Nintendo’s patents as part of their lawsuit against Palworld, which claims Palworld copied Nintendo technology.
Nintendo received a patent in September 2025 while involved in a legal dispute with Palworld. This patent, number US 12,403,397, covers the process of summoning characters and having them battle each other. Recently, the director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office has ordered a second review of this patent.
Nintendo’s Patent Against Palworld is Being Reexamined Due to Two Prior Art References
A new report from GamesFray indicates that John A. Squires, Director of the USPTO, has requested a review of Nintendo’s patent related to Palworld. He initiated this review himself, prompted by two previously filed US patent applications. The review focuses on claims 1, 13, 25, and 26 of US Patent No. 12,403,397. If these claims are invalidated, it could lead to the collapse of the entire patent. The reexamination is happening because relevant existing patents weren’t considered when the patent was originally granted.
We’ve also identified two existing patents that are relevant. Nintendo’s ‘397 patent covers how characters are summoned during battles, and patents from both Konami and Nintendo itself could be considered prior art. Konami filed their patent application in 2001, and it was published in 2002. Nintendo’s application was filed in 2019 and published in 2020. Both patents describe allowing players to fight using either manual control or a simpler, automatic mode.
Just to clarify, this reexamination doesn’t automatically invalidate Nintendo’s patent. Nintendo has two months to respond, and others can also submit evidence challenging the patent during that time. If Nintendo sues over this patent in U.S. federal court, the case will likely be paused until the reexamination is complete.
The director requested a review of Nintendo’s patent to specifically address the feature the original examiner considered unique. It’s unlikely there will be any further progress in Nintendo’s lawsuit against Palworld this year, but we can expect decisions from Judge Motoyuki Nakashima in 2026.
A recent Japanese court rejected one of Nintendo’s patents related to the Palworld lawsuit. Separately, the Switch 2 has now sold over 10 million units. We’re curious to hear your thoughts on the US Patent and Trademark Office’s re-examination of Nintendo’s patent in the Palworld case. Share your opinions in the comments, and connect with the TopMob community on our official Discord server.
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2025-11-04 17:18