The Pokemon Company has a copyright issue with Palworld and how it copies the core concept of ‘Pals’ in the game. A lot of the designs are quite similar to various Pokemons seen in mainstream media. Nintendo themselves issued a statement about this matter quite recently and Palworld fans have been on edge to see what they do next. The context is that Palworld modders made a mod in which they perfectly replicated multiple Pokemons and the main characters; Ash, Brock, and Misty.
The Pokémon Company issued a statement regarding Palworld
⁰“We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to… pic.twitter.com/iUplQIkLDX— Rino (@RinoTheBouncer) January 25, 2024
The Pokemon Company and Nintendo issued a DMCA to the makers of the mod and against anyone who would simply talk about it on social media. Nintendo has ‘mercilessly’ shut down the modder and the mod itself. Nexus Mods refused to host the mod out on their website fearing legal action. The modding community has taken a step back due to the fear of being in the crosshairs of Nintendo and their lawsuits.
Nintendo issued a statement saying that they would investigate the game and take “appropriate measures” to the acts that infringe any sort of copyright. This is not the first time they have gone against something that infringes their product. They have sued games, entities, and so on a lot of times.
Other Games/Entities That Received a Copyright Notice from The Pokemon Company
Nintendo issued a copyright strike on six different Chinese companies that made a game called Pocket Monster Reissue. This happened a few years back and there were stark similarities between the game and Nintendo’s franchise. In addition, Nintendo also sued a person who developed an FPS Pokemon game where you could hunt down Pikachu. Nintendo immediately copyright struck the creator. They have also sued the leakers of Sword and Shield.
Even the online store called RedBubble, which made customized clothing and phone cases was under flak. They won the case but received $1 in nominal charges since the designs involved a mash-up of other characters besides Pikachu, the character used by RedBubble. Justice Pagone also argued that a website that allowed artists to upload their designs made copyright infringement “inevitable.”
Nintendo has had a long history of suing entities for copyright infringement and Palworld is not the first one. Currently, the company is investigating how the game infringes on its copyright as a lot of people have seen the similarities firsthand. Nintendo has not only put the developers of Palworld under the radar but also the modders and people who try to talk about the mod in the game. This can be a make-and-break for the game and the developers are finding the best way to proceed legally.
