Nintendo has been in a legal fight with Pocketpair, the team behind Palworld, for months over patent issues in Japan.
Now, with two U.S. patents approved for creature-catching mechanics, things might get even more intense. Since these mechanics are a big part of the lawsuit, Nintendo could take the battle to the U.S. next. This could shake things up for both companies.
Let’s break down what these new patents mean and how they could change the game.
Nintendo’s Creature-Capture U.S. Patent Approval
Nintendo appears to be reinforcing its legal position against Pocketpair by securing three new U.S. patents, reports Gamesfray.
Patent No. 12,179,111 was granted in December 2024, and another one, No. 12,220,638, just got approved on February 11, 2025. Both of these cover mechanics where players aim and toss objects to capture creatures—pretty much what you do in both Pokémon and Palworld.
There’s a third patent, No. 12,194,382, issued in January 2025, but it’s more about trading items between players, so it might not be a big deal in this case.
With these new patents, Nintendo seems to be making sure they have all the legal firepower they need to take on Palworld in the U.S.
Background of the Nintendo-Palworld Lawsuit
In September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company took Pocketpair to court, claiming that Palworld copied some of their ideas.
The lawsuit, filed in Tokyo, says the game uses patented creature-catching mechanics without permission. Nintendo wants the game stopped and is asking for 10 million yen (about $65,000) in damages, plus extra fees.
The patents cover things like throwing devices to catch creatures, deciding if a throw leads to a battle or a capture, and even riding creatures.
Pocketpair wasn’t happy about this and said they’ll fight the claims in court.
However, it is not all easy for Nintendo. They hit a major roadblock with its U.S. patent application No. 18/652,883.
The USPTO shot down 22 out of 23 claims on December 4, 2024, and the last one didn’t get a pass either—it was only objected to. This makes things tough for Nintendo if they want to take legal action against Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld.
Without a solid patent backing them up, proving infringement is going to be tricky. But Nintendo isn’t giving up. They’re connecting their newer patents to older ones that were around before Palworld even existed.
By doing this, they’re trying to show that they had these ideas locked in early, which could help them fight back in court.
All in all, Nintendo isn’t backing down in its fight against Palworld. The lawsuit is now stretching beyond Japan, and new U.S. patents are giving Nintendo even more support. If the legal battle shifts to the U.S., it could shake up gaming copyright rules in a big way.
