The Pokemon Company Wins $15 Million Lawsuit

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The Pokemon Company Wins $15 Million Lawsuit

Key Takeaways

  • The Pokemon Company won a $15 million lawsuit against a Chinese company for copying Pokemon characters in a video game.
  • The Pokemon Company has a history of shutting down games over claims of cloning Pokemon titles.
  • Despite legal actions against some Pokemon-like games, others like Palworld haven’t faced legal complaints.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, it’s no secret that I’ve grown up alongside the Pokemon franchise, from its humble beginnings on the Game Boy to its dominance across multiple platforms today. It’s always been a joy watching Ash Ketchum and his adorable creatures embark on new adventures, and I can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction every time The Pokemon Company takes down a copycat game that tries to capitalize on their hard work.

The Pokemon Company has successfully won a 15 million dollar lawsuit against a Chinese company for copying Pokemon characters in their video game. Throughout the years, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have removed several games from circulation due to accusations of replicating the Pokemon series.

Ever since the initial release of Pokemon games in 1996, this franchise has grown into a multi-billion-dollar empire and amassed a dedicated fanbase. The appeal lies in its engaging creature-collecting gameplay, which has sparked an ongoing search for titles that mimic the Pokemon experience. Consequently, numerous games inspired by Pokemon have emerged, some of which have achieved significant popularity among fans. Nevertheless, The Pokemon Company is notorious for their tough stance on copyright violations and has successfully shut down various games, modifications, and even fan projects due to accusations of plagiarism. Recently, they’ve scored another legal victory against a game that copies the Pokemon format.

On September 17th, according to GamesBiz and Automaton’s translation, The Pokemon Company successfully won a copyright infringement lawsuit against six Chinese companies responsible for the mobile game known as “Pocket Monster Reissue”. This game included popular Pokemon characters such as Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, Charmeleon, Jigglypuff, Oshawott, and others. The lawsuit was initially filed in 2021. The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court recognized the plagiarism and ordered one of the companies to pay approximately $15 million in damages. Three other developers and publishers were also found liable, although they have since appealed. It was previously reported by The South China Morning Post in 2022 that “Pocket Monster Reissue”, or Koudaiyaoguai Fuke, was launched in 2015 and generated over $42 million in its inaugural year.

The Pokemon Company Wins $15 Million Copyright Case

To begin with, The Pokemon Company initiated a lawsuit for approximately $72 million against creators of the game “Pocket Monster Reissue” and requested public apologies from Chinese businesses. It’s worth noting that this isn’t an unusual move for The Pokemon Company, as they have previously pursued legal action against games suspected of copyright infringement. In 2016, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company shut down the fan project “Pokemon Uranium” after nearly a decade in development. A few years later, in 2018, they also took down Pokemon Essentials, a tool used by fans to develop their own “Pokemon” games.

While not every game resembling Pokemon is met with such harsh scrutiny by The Pokemon Company, it’s the fortune of the open-world title Palworld, often referred to as “Pokemon with guns”, developed by Pocket Pair. Nintendo has acknowledged potential copyright infringement in the game, but so far, Palworld hasn’t faced any legal action from The Pokemon Company. Since its debut, Palworld has garnered a massive following among players and there are whispers of a possible PlayStation release in the future.

Despite The Pokemon Company not taking legal action against Pocket Pair, the comparisons between Palworld and Pokemon remain active among players. Other Pokemon titles like Pokemon GO have also inspired several games with similar gameplay. A new game called Miraibo GO was recently revealed and combines both Palworld and Pokemon GO features. Meanwhile, The Pokemon Company is focusing on its next big release, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, expected in 2025.

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2024-09-18 00:43