In Japan, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) has rejected one of Nintendo’s patent applications, specifically the filing identified as 2024-031879, on the grounds that it lacked sufficient inventiveness (“inventive step”). The rejected patent sat in between two granted patents in Nintendo’s “monster capture” style gameplay patent family (one being JP 7505852, the other JP 7545191) which Nintendo is reportedly using in its lawsuit against Pocketpair.
Moving forward, Nintendo has a window (60 days from October 22) to respond to the rejection, either by revising the claims, providing arguments to overcome the rejection, or appealing the decision. Also interesting: a third-party submission apparently introduced prior art that helped trigger the rejection. That submission may have come from Pocketpair or someone assisting them, given their legal filings referencing many older game mechanics.
that’s a good question. On one hand Palworld might actually step on Nintendo’s toes a little bit. On the other hand, Nintendo is overly aggressive on a lot of their patents. So I don’t mind seeing them getting knocked on a peg or two.
then you have Light of Motiram which looks like a blatant rip off of Horizon Zero Dawn. this shows you that these companies need to be protective of their IP’s.
I think it is stupid to patent ideas at all. But that is capitalism for you. We should be happy to share ideas with each other… I’m looking at you Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor/War. What a beautiful game idea the nemesis system was.
The base idea of patents and trademarks is that an idea you create, gives you the rights to that idea, whether its to make money, keep a up quality or gives attention to the idea as you seem fit.
Capitalism is great because competition breaths innovation and creativity. The unfortunate side of it is it also restricts others out from competition.
Thank you for teaching me. I just think something that is built upon “infinite growth” seems inherently silly because there are finite resources on the earth…
I agree. I think patents shouldnt exist in the medical field, but at the same time, would this stifle executives or board members to not push that hard for medicines? Behind the marvels of medicine, lies the physicist who built the machines to study the universe on a macro scale, or the scientist who was looking to understand our world on a micro scale.
I think the first step to producing more people who are willing to forego material things in life is to educate them properly.
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in
