Nintendo has suffered a setback in Japan after the Japan Patent Office (JPO) rejected one of its monster-catching patent applications. The decision states that the claimed gameplay mechanics were not considered inventive enough because similar systems had already been publicly demonstrated years earlier.
One of the most notable pieces of evidence cited by the examiner was footage from a Pokémon fan project uploaded to YouTube in 2013.
Japan Patent Office Rejects Nintendo’s Patent Application
The rejected application, numbered 2026-019762, focused on touchscreen-based monster-catching mechanics. Although it was filed in spring 2026, it claimed priority dating back to December 2021.
The patent covered several gameplay features, including:
- Touchscreen character movement.
- Using capture items to catch creatures.
- Summoning creatures during battles.
- Command selection in combat.
- Catching creatures both during battles and while exploring the game world.
Nintendo indicated that the application belongs to the same patent family involved in its ongoing legal dispute with Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld.
Fan Game Footage Played a Major Role
According to the JPO examiner, the application lacked an inventive step because the proposed mechanics combined ideas that were already publicly available.
Among the prior art referenced were:
- A June 2013 YouTube video showcasing a Pokémon Generations fan project.
- Gameplay and mechanics from ARK Mobile.
- PUBG Mobile.
- Official information for Pokémon X and Pokémon Y.
- Another Pokémon gameplay video.
- Earlier Japanese patent publications.
The examiner concluded that these existing examples already demonstrated many of the concepts described in Nintendo’s application.
Nintendo’s Copyright Argument Rejected
Nintendo argued that the 2013 fan project should not qualify as prior art because it allegedly infringed on the company’s intellectual property.
The examiner disagreed.
According to the decision, the publicly available video itself was sufficient evidence that the gameplay systems had already been disclosed. Whether the underlying project potentially infringed copyright did not change the fact that the mechanics had been shown to the public before the patent application.
Connection to the Palworld Dispute
The rejected application is particularly noteworthy because Nintendo previously identified it as part of the same patent family connected to its legal battle with Pocketpair.
Pocketpair has also relied on prior art during that dispute. In 2025, the developer referenced the Pocket Souls mod, a Pokémon-themed modification for Dark Souls III released in 2020, as part of its arguments challenging Nintendo’s patents.
The latest JPO decision highlights how publicly available gameplay footage, mods, and fan projects can become relevant evidence during patent examinations.
What Happens Next?
The refusal concludes the standard examination process, but Nintendo still has several options available.
The company can appeal the decision within three months, submit a divisional application with narrower patent claims, or decide to abandon the application altogether.
Whether Nintendo pursues an appeal remains to be seen, but the ruling represents another closely watched development in the wider discussion surrounding gameplay patents and the ongoing legal dispute involving Palworld.
