Nintendo has encountered another obstacle in its efforts to secure intellectual property protection for touchscreen-based monster catching mechanics. The Japan Patent Office rejected the company's patent application, citing a lack of inventive step over existing prior art. This decision follows a similar rejection by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a different Nintendo patent related to Pokemon summoning and fighting.
Japan Patent Office denies intellectual property claim citing prior art overlap
The Japan Patent Office examiner identified several pieces of prior art that predate or overlap with Nintendo's claims. These references include the game Pokemon Generations, the mobile title PUBG Mobile, and various YouTube videos. The rejection indicates that the office does not view the proposed touchscreen interaction as sufficiently distinct from already known methods.
Industry observers link this patent struggle to the broader competitive landscape involving games like Palworld Mobile and Tencent's Roco Kingdom: World. Speculation suggests that Nintendo is attempting to protect core gameplay loops that have become central to the monster-collecting genre. The legal challenges highlight the difficulty publishers face in monopolizing established interactive concepts.
Nintendo filed the patent application in 2026, a date that appears to be a typo in the source material given the current timeline. The company has not clarified whether this filing date is accurate or if the application occurred in a previous year. The rejection underscores the rigorous scrutiny applied to software patents in the gaming sector.
Source: Insider Gaming
