Nintendo's legal fight with Palworld suffers a reversal as USPTO rejects patent

11 hours ago

Nintendo's US patent for character-summoning battle mechanics has been revoked in a non-final ruling by the USPTO, giving them two months to respond.
Nintendo is suing Palworld developer Pocketpair in Japan for patent infringement, arguing theft of game mechanics, not copyright, with potential impacts on many developers.
Pocketpair has made changes to Palworld but remains defiant, prioritizing fans and indie developer creativity despite legal challenges.
The USPTO rejection is based on 'prior art' from older patents by Nintendo, Konami, and Bandai Namco, deeming the idea not innovative.
Nintendo is also trying to control the definition of prior art in its Japanese lawsuit, excluding Pokémon-style mods, while modifying Japanese patents.
Palworld continues to be profitable, with a Sony deal for cross-media expansion, despite ongoing legal battles.

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