Nintendo lawsuit likely to win only 'chump change,' Pocketpair says

Nintendo's lawsuit over Palworld is due for a presentation in October ahead of a court opinion in November. IP expert Florian Mueller argues the case is tightly limited: many patents at issue were applied for after Palworld's release and Nintendo narrowed its claim to older versions that existed "before Pocketpair made changes to eliminate patent exposure." That confines potential damages to a specific sales window in Japan and caps maximum project damages at ¥5 million, roughly $31,200 — "chump change," Mueller says.

Pocketpair has already altered Palworld to avoid patent exposure, replacing the ability to summon Pals via Pokeball-esque throwable spheres in December 2024 and changing a gliding mount mechanic tied to the suit.

Japan

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