The patents it seems Nintendo is using seems to be the concept of catching critters in balls and then also throwing them out to battle. The one being floated is both google translated and written in legalese, so its hard to determine what it exactly is saying and if its as vague as it sounds.
If that is true though, then it really seems the only case they have against Palworld and not all the others beforehand (which by not attacking voids their claim) is that its a fucking ball and not a different object like all the rest seem to use.
Nintendo is a mega company. Their actions on things like this is how patent law gets defined to begin with.
So if it wasn't allowed prior, it might be now just because they had the lawyers and money to convince people it was. And Japan is way more absurd about the ways you can abuse copyright/patents to begin with.
One of the patents, which as you said was filed only a few months ago, was in essence a system in which a flying mount enters a walking animation when landing. Fucking asinine.
Pokemon is almost 30 years old. Patents expire because they are meant to promote innovation by giving inventors a competitive advantage over anyone who lurks about waiting for other people to do the R&D for them, and not stifle innovation by giving inventors a permanent veto over who gets to iterate on their invention. So a lawsuit on those grounds years after any such patent would have expired is clearly invalid.
The patents it seems Nintendo is using seems to be the concept of catching critters in balls and then also throwing them out to battle. The one being floated is both google translated and written in legalese, so its hard to determine what it exactly is saying and if its as vague as it sounds.
If that is true though, then it really seems the only case they have against Palworld and not all the others beforehand (which by not attacking voids their claim) is that its a fucking ball and not a different object like all the rest seem to use.
How is a fictional concept like that even patentable to begin with? Don't patents have to involve design or utility in real life?
Nintendo is a mega company. Their actions on things like this is how patent law gets defined to begin with.
So if it wasn't allowed prior, it might be now just because they had the lawyers and money to convince people it was. And Japan is way more absurd about the ways you can abuse copyright/patents to begin with.
The court will accuse them of bringing “great dishonour” and demand they commit sepeku on a livestream
It's not a ball, it's a sphere. The difference is subtle, yet important your honor.
Pal catching mechanism is also more elaborate, though to me it looks very "gambling machine lights flashing".
The first pokemon game was released 27 years ago, patents only last 20 years. Unless they were able to renew it?
The one I've seen floating around was patented recently anyway, after Palworld was in development/out already.
Which is why I don't buy its the legitimate one yet, because that makes it even more ridiculous.
One of the patents, which as you said was filed only a few months ago, was in essence a system in which a flying mount enters a walking animation when landing. Fucking asinine.
This is laughable.
They might as well attack all MMOs with flying mounts.
Pokemon is almost 30 years old. Patents expire because they are meant to promote innovation by giving inventors a competitive advantage over anyone who lurks about waiting for other people to do the R&D for them, and not stifle innovation by giving inventors a permanent veto over who gets to iterate on their invention. So a lawsuit on those grounds years after any such patent would have expired is clearly invalid.
Palworld came out in February.
The relevant patent was issued in May.
Nintendo has no case.
What if they had a lot of money and rabid fanboys instead?
So, update the game to have a capture cube and tell Nintendo to piss off.
"Your honor, it's a sphere, not a ball."
"A ball is any sphere in throwable format."
"New Palworld update. Spheres replaced with Pal Ellipsoids."
Or Pallysoids, for short.