Nintendo’s anti-Palworld patent rejected in Japan, prior games like ARK and Monster Hunter already had such mechanism
I think we all agree that some patents should never be granted. Nintendo, known for its extremely strict corporate culture that goes after anyone and anything involving its money-making franchises like Pokémon and Mario, has been known to take down YouTube videos and emulators.
If fans make their own Mario or Zelda games, Nintendo usually sends legal notices asking them to stop or remove the files. Even free fan projects get removed. The company also tells websites like YouTube or Steam to delete videos or mods that use its characters or music without permission.
Nintendo says it does this to protect its ideas and trademarks. The company believes that if it lets people use them freely, others might start copying them, making it harder to control its brand later. Because of that, Nintendo often acts quickly to remove anything that looks like an unofficial game or remake.
Palworld monster catching, Source: YouTube
Meanwhile, Nintendo has lost an important round in another battle, though the fight is not over yet. Japan’s Patent Office has rejected one of Nintendo’s patents related to its legal dispute with Palworld developer Pocketpair. Palworld gained popularity by offering a similar concept on PC, something Nintendo has been reluctant to do.
The rejected application, 2024-031879, was part of Nintendo’s “monster capture” patent family and was dismissed because it lacked originality. The examiner said the idea was already used in other games before Nintendo filed the patent in December 2021. Cited titles included ARK: Survival Evolved, Monster Hunter 4, Craftopia, Kantai Collection, and Pokémon GO.
The Patent Office found that these games already featured capture and combat systems similar to what Nintendo described. The decision followed a third-party submission of evidence, likely from Pocketpair, showing that such mechanics were public years earlier.
The decision is not final, but Nintendo now has 60 days to update its claims or face full rejection.
Source: Gamesfray
