No—Nintendo has not lost its Palworld lawsuit. The Japan Patent Office (JPO) rejected a separate, touchscreen-focused patent application in July 2026; Nintendo and The Pokémon Company requested an appeal trial on September 3. That patent-office dispute does not decide whether Palworld infringes the three granted patents Pocketpair identified in the Tokyo case.
What patent did Japan reject?
The July 2026 refusal concerned divisional application 2026-019762, a separate application in Nintendo and The Pokémon Company’s monster-capture patent family. The European Commission’s IP Helpdesk described it as covering a touchscreen game involving character movement, creature capture and combat commands.
In rejecting the application, the JPO relied in part on a 2013 Pokémon Generations gameplay video, alongside material about touchscreen controls and mobile-game adaptations. The applicants argued, among other things, that a video of an allegedly copyright-infringing fan game should not count as prior art. The JPO rejected that objection as part of the examination, according to the Commission’s August 7, 2026 briefing.
This was a finding about whether the claims in that application met patentability requirements, including inventive step—not a decision about Palworld’s conduct in court.
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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
Did Nintendo lose the Palworld lawsuit?
No. Nintendo announced on September 19, 2024, that it and The Pokémon Company had filed suit against Pocketpair in Tokyo District Court the day before. Nintendo said it alleged infringement of multiple patent rights and sought an injunction and compensation for damages. Those were the plaintiffs’ claims and requested remedies, not a court finding.
Pocketpair later identified the three patents it said were asserted: Japanese patent numbers 7545191, 7493117 and 7528390. In Pocketpair’s account, the plaintiffs sought an injunction against Palworld and ¥5 million plus late-payment damages for each plaintiff. Pocketpair gave registration dates of August 27, May 22 and July 26, 2024, respectively. These details describe Pocketpair’s account of the lawsuit; they do not establish what a court will award or decide.
Does the patent rejection affect the Palworld case?
It does not, by itself, invalidate the three granted patents Pocketpair identified or resolve the infringement claims. The European Commission’s IP Helpdesk put the distinction plainly: “The refusal does not invalidate those patents or determine whether Palworld infringes them.” The rejected application and the court case concern separate legal questions and proceed through separate institutions.
| Proceeding | What is being decided | Status described in the available reporting |
|---|---|---|
| JPO application 2026-019762 | Whether the claims in a touchscreen-focused divisional application qualify for a patent | Rejected in July 2026; Nintendo and The Pokémon Company requested an appeal trial on September 3, 2026. The appeal outcome is unresolved in the material available. |
| Tokyo District Court case | Whether Palworld infringed the granted patents at issue and, if so, what remedies are appropriate | Filed in September 2024. No final infringement judgment is established by the cited reporting. |
How does the 2025 patent refusal fit in?
The July 2026 decision was not the first reported setback in this patent family. Nintendo Life reported in October 2025 that the JPO had refused a different application, numbered 2024-031879, for lack of inventive step, citing prior art that included game materials. That refusal also concerned an application, not the court’s determination of the Palworld case, and it is distinct from the touchscreen-focused divisional application rejected in July 2026.
What happens next?
The appeal trial requested on September 3 is a patent-office proceeding; its result is not established in the available reporting. Separately, GamesRadar reported that a Tokyo District Court evidence presentation was scheduled for October 1, 2026, and that a preliminary court view was expected on November 9. The October 1 event’s occurrence and result are not verified in that reporting, so it should not be treated as a completed milestone here.
The headline’s “stumbles” describes the rejection of a newer application, not a loss in court. The court must address the asserted granted patents and the parties’ claims on their own record.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- 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
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