The Pokémon Company’s new patents are a bad sign, and not just for Palworld

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Yesterday, Games Fray reported that within the past week, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have been granted two U.S. patents. Over the course of the last year, The Pokémon Company and Pocketpair, developers of Palworld, have been embroiled in a legal dispute in Japan. At present, there’s no new information regarding this case; however, if you haven’t heard lately, Pocketpair has had to make significant adjustments to Palworld due to “prevention of further interference with the development of Palworld.” These recently-granted patents, albeit limited in scope, may suggest a broader strategy.

The Pokémon Company’s patent strategy is raising some eyebrows, not just for Palworld

The Pokémon Company is employing an unusual approach with patents in the U.S., which may have far-reaching implications for the gaming industry. Other games featuring creature collection, like Palworld, might face similar consequences due to this strategy. However, it’s the fact that TPC obtained these patents that raises concerns. To clarify, I am not a legal expert. This patent seems quite specific, and it would require direct copying to violate it. Yet, while this particular case might not lead to issues, it does lay the groundwork for potential misuse of such a precedent.

Florian Mueller at Games Fray, a website known for discussing legal documents, finds one of the patents particularly surprising. He explains, “Typically, patent applications undergo initial rejections of some claims and necessitate modifications and persuasion. However, the application resulting in the ‘397 patent, filed in March 2023, encountered no objections from the USPTO. Instead, it was granted this summer, and it was issued just last week.

One concern I share with others is that the prosperity Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are experiencing through this strategy might persuade other entities to adopt similar practices. Although this patent may never be utilized, it certainly discourages creators from venturing too close. If major companies choose to act in this way, it could severely restrict smaller innovators within these domains, mainly due to the fear of legal action. While this benefits The Pokémon Company since they aim to avoid another “Palworld”, if “Pokémon” becomes complacent instead of competitive and innovative, we all suffer the consequences.

The narrative was posted on Reddit, more specifically at r/Nintendo, where one user eloquently expresses the issue: “Instead of focusing on enhancing their Pokémon games by investing time and money, Nintendo seems to be working on eliminating any potential competition.” If no other company can match the competitive gaming experience offered by Pokémon, they have no reason to strive for improvement in this area. These actions strengthen their dominance in the market.

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2025-09-10 22:02