Earlier this week, with the help of a fantastic report from GamesFray, we covered the news of Nintendo securing a new U.S. patent that not only looks like part of their arsenal against Pocketpair’s Palworld, but could also send shockwaves across the wider gaming industry.
I'm of course talking about the patent for summoning other characters to fight for you in a game, otherwise known as Patent No. 12,403,397. I’ve been following the back-and-forth between Nintendo and Pocketpair since the original lawsuit in Japan, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much attention on a Nintendo patent filing. And with good reason: it’s insanely broad, it’s certainly not something Nintendo invented, and most people are baffled at how the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted it in the first place.
Thankfully, amid all the uproar, Florian Mueller (the patent and gaming litigation expert behind GamesFray), sat down for a podcast with FritangaPlays to break down exactly how Nintendo managed to push this patent through the USPTO. His take on the documents and the tactics involved is a fascinating listen. I highly recommend checking out the full episode, but for now I’ve pulled together the juiciest highlights below.
