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Two applications, two different procedural snapshots
The 2025 Windows Central story named Japanese application 2024-031879 and described a rejection for lack of inventive step. Its discussion of possible responses and appeals reflected the procedural position reported at that time. The sources available for this article do not establish the application’s current prosecution outcome. It would therefore be inaccurate to say it was ultimately granted, abandoned, appealed, or that its refusal changed the Palworld case.
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A later application, 2026-019762, concerns touchscreen-based monster-capture gameplay. The European Commission’s European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency reported that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) refused it in a decision dated 7 July 2026. GameBusiness.jp reported on 12 September 2026 that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company had filed an appeal request on 3 September. That reported appeal belongs to 2026-019762, not 2024-031879.
| Track | What it concerns | Latest status established by the cited reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Application 2024-031879 | The application named in Windows Central’s 29 October 2025 story | Current prosecution outcome not established by the available sources |
| Application 2026-019762 | A later, touchscreen-focused application | Refused on 7 July 2026; appeal request reportedly filed on 3 September 2026 |
| Palworld court case | An infringement dispute involving granted patents | Not decided by either of the JPO application refusals discussed here |
What “lacking originality” means in this context
“Lacking originality” is headline shorthand, not a finding that a game or an idea is generally unoriginal. The reporting describes an objection based on lack of inventive step, or obviousness over prior art: whether a person with relevant technical knowledge could have readily developed the claimed invention from publicly available information.
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For application 2026-019762, the agency account says the JPO considered, among other material, a 2013 gameplay video of the unofficial fan game Pokémon Generations, alongside touchscreen controls, mobile game adaptations, capture during combat, targeting, and collection mechanics. The agency reported that some claims were not objected to, but objections remained on key claims, preventing grant in the application’s submitted form.
The same agency account says Nintendo objected to reliance on footage associated with an allegedly copyright-infringing fan game and argued that the video did not disclose internal program operation. According to the agency’s account of the decision, the JPO considered publicly available information eligible as prior art regardless of possible copyright infringement, and treated the gameplay actions and narration as informative about behavior. These points are an institutional secondary account, not a direct review of the JPO decision text.
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GameBusiness.jp reported that the applicants challenged the examiner’s reading of the video and argued that the examiner had not adequately addressed whether there was a motivation to combine existing technologies. Those are arguments made in the appeal, not findings that the appeal has succeeded.
What happens after a JPO refusal?
The JPO’s general patent procedure allows an applicant who receives a notice of reasons for refusal to argue that the invention differs from the cited prior art or to amend claims to address the objections. If the examiner considers the objections unresolved, a refusal decision may follow; the applicant may then appeal that decision. This general process does not establish the next step or outcome for application 2024-031879.
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For 2026-019762, the appeal request has reportedly been filed. GameBusiness.jp described possible appeal-stage outcomes as cancellation of the refusal, reconsideration following amendment, or a decision maintaining the refusal. Its report also said the appeal petition sought further reasoning and an opportunity to amend if refusal grounds remained. The next event is therefore further JPO procedure, not an automatic ruling in the Palworld court case.
WIPO’s overview of Japan’s patent system says an applicant dissatisfied with an examiner’s refusal may request an appeal within three months after service of the certified decision, or four months for a party residing outside Japan. The applicable deadline depends on service and the party’s circumstances; an applicant must check the official notice and obtain legal advice rather than calculate a deadline from a news report’s publication date.
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Does the rejection change Nintendo’s Palworld lawsuit?
No automatic change follows. Patent application examination and an infringement case in the Tokyo District Court are separate legal processes. The European Commission agency’s report expressly distinguishes the 2026-019762 refusal from the granted patents considered by the court, and says the refusal neither invalidates those patents nor determines whether Palworld infringes them.
Windows Central’s 2025 report described application 2024-031879 as connected to granted patents in the same family and suggested the refusal might provide context for Pocketpair’s arguments. That is a possible litigation argument, not a court ruling or an automatic effect on a granted patent. A refusal of a pending application does not by itself settle the scope or validity of a separate granted patent.
Quick Recap
What to watch next
- For 2024-031879: verify its current status in an up-to-date official prosecution record before drawing a conclusion. The 2026 appeal report is not evidence of what happened to this application.
- For 2026-019762: watch for the JPO’s handling of the reported appeal, including whether the refusal is maintained, canceled, or revisited after any amendment.
- For the lawsuit: look to court proceedings for decisions about infringement and the parties’ defenses. Neither application refusal itself resolves those questions.
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