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Nintendo applying for anti-Palworld patents in the US with a whopping 22 out of 23 rejected, but "they are fighting"
(www.windowscentral.com)
this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2025
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I would love to learn why this isn't completely stupid, if anyone has a way of explaining. We'd be down entire genres of games if developers didn't copy each other's homework.
It is completely stupid. There is a reason the stereotypes about Japanese businessmen are what they are.
Nintendo is attempting to bully other game developers. They can't enforce this patent in the US, but they can wave the patent and a cease and desist letter menacingly at their competitors. Thing is, it's generating bad will against Nintendo and the first time a company calls Nintendo on their shit, Nintendo is gunna lose. The patent is either so specific it won't apply to another game or its broader and there is a mountain of prior art.
From my reading, it's the latter. The patent seems to try to monopolize the idea of throwing an object to catch a monster. Which has been done so, so many times before.
Including but not limited to RL millenia before videogames were even invented.
Imagine trying to throw a lawsuit at a rodeo for video game patent infringement
It is completely stupid. There are mountains worth of prior art that easily negate any patent Nintendo would be granted by this point.
Nintendo is a Japanese company, and the one thing you can rely on Japanese companies doing in recent years is not understanding that Japanese law only applies in Japan. They seem to think that they can apply Japanese law to US citizens or companies that conduct business in the US, so whatever strategy they think they can use will be swatted aside by the US government automatically. We have seen this already when Nintendo tried to sue Galoob Toys and lost.
Well, to be fair when it comes to not understanding that their law doesn't apply world-wide Americans are also right up there in the top ranks.
Suing for patent infringement is the nuclear option. It's a long and expensive legal process that can very much blow up in your face, so companies aren't rushing to do it unless they really want to.
It's not a great system.
I saw this video a while back that explained Nintendo's behaviour and strategy. It's a bit long and not a direct answer to your question but I found it pretty interesting.
https://youtu.be/8apzrwv75i0