Chinese Pokémon Clone Suffers Legal Blow

The Pokémon Company secures a significant victory in its copyright infringement lawsuit against Chinese companies. A Shenzhen court awarded $15 million in damages, concluding a legal battle initiated in December 2021. The lawsuit targeted the developers of "Pokémon Monster Reissue," a mobile RPG accused of blatantly copying Pokémon characters, creatures, and gameplay mechanics.

The game, launched in 2015, featured striking similarities to the Pokémon franchise, including characters closely resembling Pikachu and Ash Ketchum, and gameplay mirroring the series' signature turn-based battles and creature collection. While acknowledging the existence of many monster-catching games inspired by Pokémon, The Pokémon Company argued that "Pokémon Monster Reissue" crossed the line into blatant plagiarism. Evidence included the game's icon, which used Pikachu artwork from Pokémon Yellow, and advertisements featuring Ash Ketchum, Oshawott, Pikachu, and Tepig, among other recognizable characters and Pokémon.

Initially, The Pokémon Company sought $72.5 million in damages, a public apology, and a cessation of the game's development, distribution, and promotion. While the final judgment was lower, the $15 million award serves as a strong deterrent against future copyright infringement. Three of the six defendant companies reportedly plan to appeal.

In a statement translated from GameBiz, The Pokémon Company reiterated its commitment to protecting its intellectual property to ensure fans worldwide can enjoy Pokémon content without disruption.

Addressing past criticism regarding the takedown of fan projects, former Chief Legal Officer Don McGowan clarified the company's approach. He stated that The Pokémon Company doesn't proactively seek out fan projects but intervenes when projects gain significant traction, such as through crowdfunding.

McGowan explained that the legal team typically learns of fan projects through media or personal discovery, highlighting that publicity can inadvertently bring projects to the company's attention. Despite this policy, The Pokémon Company has issued takedown notices for some smaller-scale fan projects, including creation tools, games like Pokémon Uranium, and viral videos featuring fan-made content.