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Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Palworld developer Pocketpair in Japan over alleged patent infringement—not a court finding that Palworld copied Pokémon characters. Pocketpair has said it will defend its position. The latest located court-status report, dated July 2026, said the case was still pending; later developments, including a technical briefing reportedly scheduled for October 1, have not been confirmed in the available reporting.
Why did Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sue Pocketpair?
Nintendo announced on September 19, 2024, that it and The Pokémon Company had filed suit against Pocketpair in the Tokyo District Court the previous day. Nintendo said the action alleged that Palworld infringed multiple patent rights and sought an injunction and damages. Those are the plaintiffs’ allegations and requested remedies; they are not findings by a court.
The case described in the parties’ statements is a patent dispute. It should not be presented as a copyright lawsuit over Palworld’s resemblance to Pokémon characters. A separate question is whether the asserted patents are valid and whether Palworld infringes them; the available status reporting does not establish that a court has resolved either question.
Which patents did Pocketpair say were at issue?
When Pocketpair first commented on September 19, 2024, it said it had received notice of a patent-infringement suit and would begin legal proceedings and investigate the allegations. It said it had not yet been told which patents were at issue. On November 8, Pocketpair identified three Japanese patents:
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- Patent No. 7,545,191: application filed July 30, 2024; registered August 27, 2024.
- Patent No. 7,493,117: application filed February 26, 2024; registered May 22, 2024.
- Patent No. 7,528,390: application filed March 5, 2024; registered July 26, 2024.
Pocketpair said Palworld was released on January 19, 2024. It described the plaintiffs’ compensation request as covering a portion of damages from patent registration through the filing of the suit. These dates and descriptions come from Pocketpair’s account; they do not themselves determine whether infringement occurred.
How much money are the plaintiffs seeking?
Pocketpair reported a claim of ¥5 million, plus late-payment damages, for The Pokémon Company and a separate ¥5 million, plus late-payment damages, for Nintendo. That makes ¥10 million in stated claims before late-payment damages. It is not a ¥500 million claim.
The money is only part of the requested relief. Nintendo said the plaintiffs also sought an injunction against alleged infringement. The announcement of a requested injunction does not mean one was granted.
What has Pocketpair said in response?
Pocketpair said it disputes the plaintiffs’ position. A patent-attorney explainer published July 14, 2026, described Pocketpair as asserting that it infringes none of the patents and that the patents are invalid. Those are Pocketpair’s positions, just as infringement is the plaintiffs’ allegation; neither is a court ruling.
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In its November 8, 2024 statement, Pocketpair said: “We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.” In September 2024, it also said it would do its utmost for fans and to ensure indie game developers were not discouraged from pursuing creative ideas. These statements communicate the company’s public stance, not the outcome of the litigation.
Is the Palworld lawsuit still ongoing?
The latest located court-status account, the patent-attorney explainer published July 14, 2026, said the Tokyo District Court case remained pending as of July 8. It reported that no judgment, settlement, or injunction had been issued by that date. The explainer listed a technical briefing reportedly scheduled for October 1, 2026, and a preliminary disclosure reportedly scheduled for November 9, based on media reports.
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As of October 8, 2026, the available reporting here does not confirm whether the October 1 briefing took place or whether the court acted afterward. The July status account therefore cannot establish the case’s exact present status. The November 9 date is a reported future schedule, not a confirmed outcome.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Nintendo lose the case over a patent-office rejection?
No court outcome follows from the separate Japan Patent Office action reported by AUTOMATON WEST on July 22, 2026. That report concerned rejection of divisional application No. 2026-019762, which sought a patent related to capturing monsters in a game. The report said the JPO addressed inventive step and cited prior gameplay material.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →A divisional application is distinct from the registered patents Pocketpair identified as asserted in the lawsuit. The reported rejection did not invalidate those registered patents, decide whether Palworld infringed them, or resolve the Tokyo court case. It would therefore be inaccurate to describe it as Nintendo losing the Palworld lawsuit or as the lawsuit patents being invalidated.
What is established—and what remains unresolved?
- Established from the parties’ announcements: Nintendo and The Pokémon Company filed a patent suit against Pocketpair in Tokyo on September 18, 2024; Nintendo announced it the next day.
- Reported by Pocketpair: three patents were identified, and the stated monetary claims were ¥5 million per plaintiff plus late-payment damages.
- Reported court status: the July 2026 account said the case was pending as of July 8, with no judgment, settlement, or injunction then reported.
- Not established here: a later court decision, the result of the reported October 1 briefing, or a determination that either side is right on infringement or patent validity.
The clearest description is that the parties are contesting alleged Japanese patent infringement, while the court’s resolution remains unverified in the latest located status reporting.
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