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Pokémon Lawsuit: Why the Reported $15 Million Award Was Not the Final Settlement

A Chinese court initially ordered 107 million yuan in compensation over a Pokémon-like mobile game. The defendants appealed, and the later settlement amount was not made public.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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The Pokémon Company did not publicly confirm receiving $15 million. That figure was a 2024 media conversion of a 107 million yuan first-instance award in China. After the defendants appealed, the Guangdong High People’s Court mediated a settlement in February 2025; the court confirmed compensation was paid and the agreement fulfilled, but did not disclose the final amount.

Which game was at the center of the case?

The dispute concerned Pokémon: Remastered, also called Pocket Monster: Remake and, in the Chinese-language case report, 口袋妖怪:复刻. The Guangdong High People’s Court said the defendants had operated the mobile game since 2015. It described the game as closely resembling Pokémon in its characters, maps, storyline and gameplay. Promotional claims reportedly described it as a faithful or highly accurate restoration and suggested it was officially licensed. The court’s English-language summary said the game had generated more than 300 million yuan by the following year; that is reported revenue, not damages or a court award. Supreme People’s Court case summary.

What did the court decide, and what do the figures mean?

The Pokémon Company sued in December 2021 in the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court, alleging copyright infringement and unfair competition. It sought 500 million yuan in damages and other relief. The first-instance court found copyright infringement and ordered 107 million yuan in compensation. In September 2024, PocketGamer.biz reported that award as about $15 million. The conversion was a description of the first-instance award—not evidence that the company ultimately received that amount. Supreme People’s Court case summary; Guangdong High People’s Court report; PocketGamer.biz report.

Figure What it refers to
500 million yuan Damages the Pokémon Company sought, according to the Supreme People’s Court’s 2025 summary.
107 million yuan Compensation ordered at first instance, as reported by the Supreme People’s Court and Guangdong High People’s Court in 2025.
About $15 million PocketGamer.biz’s September 2024 conversion of the first-instance award; not a disclosed final settlement sum.
More than 300 million yuan Revenue attributed to the game by the year after launch in the Supreme People’s Court’s 2025 summary; not damages or settlement compensation.

How did the case end?

The defendants appealed. The Guangdong High People’s Court held a public hearing on December 18, 2024, and mediated a settlement in February 2025. Its report says compensation was paid and the agreement fully performed. Neither that court report nor the companies’ published apology statement gives the settlement amount, so it cannot be equated with the earlier 107 million yuan award or its reported $15 million conversion. Guangdong High People’s Court report.

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What happened to the game?

A February 12, 2025 apology statement from Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology Co., Ltd. and Khorgos Fangchi Network Technology Co., Ltd. says the game was removed and operations ceased. The statement acknowledges copyright infringement and unfair competition and says the game extensively used design elements from Pokémon video games. It also says the second-instance proceedings ended in a compensation settlement, without stating the amount. Published apology statement.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Did The Pokémon Company receive $15 million?

The public court reporting confirms that compensation was paid under a February 2025 settlement, but does not disclose its amount. About $15 million was a 2024 media conversion of the earlier first-instance award.

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Was the $15 million figure the amount originally sought?

No. The company sought 500 million yuan. The 107 million yuan first-instance award was the sum reported as about $15 million.

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