Nintendo President breaks silence on Palworld: “Actions will be taken”
PocketpairDuring an interview with ReutersJP, Nintendo’s President, Shuntaro Furukawa, finally broke the silence about Palworld’s case. Could that mean Pocketpair is in the crosshairs of Nintendo’s legal team?
This must be one of the most difficult moments for both Pokemon and Palworld fans, as the most recent interview with Nintendo‘s powerhouse Shuntaro Furukawa revealed that they are looking deeply into the case and would surely conduct a thorough investigation on the alleged IP infringements by Pocketpair.
It happened right after a board meeting where investors and the heads of the company met to discuss the plans for Nintendo Switch and all the brand’s products. According to various sources, Furukawa also asked for a detailed market evaluation of Palworld’s sales and the alleged usage of Nintendo’s IP.
This was revealed during an interview with Reuters JP, when Nintendo’s current CEO revealed that they will “take appropriate action against those that infringe our intellectual property rights.”
Further down the interview, the president of the Japanese game development titan refused to reveal more details but ensured that “actions will be taken,” which would mean that Nintendo’s legal team is on the case, and that could spell trouble for Pokectpair and Palworld.
Nintendo’s eternal legal war to protect their property
Nintendo has a track record of going all-out against people who put their IP “at risk.” In 1989, they sued Blockbuster due to their Videogame-rental activities, and the Japanese company won. Soon after, the US Congress enacted the “Computer Software Rentals Amendment Act,” which prohibited the rental of SNES cartridges.
PocketpairWe could also quote the numerous cease-and-desist orders against fan-made games (AKA Fakemons), fan art, as well as their eternal battle against ROM sites and emulators, and even fanfiction published on Wattpad.
The most notorious cases against individuals though, are those of Gary Bowser (cheat engine creator, hacker, and convicted felon) and an unidentified 15-year-old boy (whose identity was preserved) allegedly accused of copyright infringement for the development of a Pokemon Emerald remake.
So there you have it, in case Nintendo decides to sue Pocketpair, we will inform you accordingly. In the meantime, if you are a fan of Palworld or Pokemon (or both), why not check the current Tera Raid Battle Event and the best Pals in Palworld.