It is not a secret anymore for anyone that there is a legal lawsuit going on between Nintendo and Pocketpair, the developer of Palworld. New information showed up lately around this whole thing, and it involves Nintendo changing some of their patent! A lot of players are now wondering if this is even legal, and how it could affect the case?
After an in-depth article from IGN that was shared on Reddit, a lot of players are discussing the case. So here is a quick breakdown of what has happened, and what it means!
Nintendo Quietly Rewords Patent Mid-Lawsuit
As mentioned, Nintendo recently reworded its ride mechanic patent. This was one of the three main issue in the lawsuit against Palworld. The update is legally allowed during the ongoing investigation, as long as no new material is added to it. And since here it looks like it’s just a wording change, it is indeed legal.
IP consultant Florian Mueller noted that the use of unusual direct phrasing, like “even when” (〜あっても), would be suggesting Nintendo is trying to build upon their claim. Possibly out of concern that the original wording would not hold up in court.
However, Nintendo’s updated wording could contradict their own earlier arguments. The company previously claimed that “boardable characters” needed to be actual creatures, and not tools like parachutes or gliders. Now, if they argue that Palworld’s glider equipment counts, it could damage their case.
Background – The Case So Far
The lawsuit basically accuses Pocketpair of patent infringement on three Japanese patents:
- Two tied to creature capture and release mechanics.
- One covering mounting and riding characters (known as “boardable characters”).
All three patents were granted in 2024, after Palworld’s original launch, and came from divisional versions of older 2021 filings. This is suggesting Nintendo may have acted reactively because of the game’s sudden success.
Pocketpair’s Countermeasures
In response, Pocketpair has already made multiple in-game changes to “design around” the patents:
- Pal Sphere summoning was removed in November 2024. Pals now materialize directly.
- Gliding system was overhauled in May 2025. Now, instead of grabbing flying Pals’ feet, you use equipment-based gliders.
Japanese lawyers believe these changes may have helped Pocketpair dodge some direct infringement, especially regarding the riding patent.
One thing is sure, as the case goes on, Pocketpair is determined to keep dropping new content and even a recent Terraria crossover. If the rewording boosts Nintendo’s argument or backfires remains to be seen, but this battle is far from over.
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