Nintendo resorts to weird patent claims as its litigation against Palworld maker Pocketpair is struggling

Last fall, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Palworld maker Pocketpair over three Japanese patents (note that links like the one to the left of this parenthesis take you to our IP Lingo dictionary explaining such terms). Earlier this year, we launched an “explain it to me like I’m five” series covering the dispute (January 23, 2025 games fray article). We sent a Japanese attorney to a Tokyo courthouse to take a look at Pocketpair’s defenses, and reported on then three months ago (April 18, 2025 games fray article). Subsequently, we explained Pocketpair’s “moving target” strategy that involves changes to gameplay mechanics so as to work around Nintendo’s patents, making it impossible so far for Nintendo to find a basis for a good-faith U.S. patent assertion (May 10, 2025 games fray article). Nintendo would apparently like to sue in the U.S. as well, but so far it can’t.