Summary
- The Pokémon Company has announced it’s reached a settlement with a Chinese developer responsible for a mobile game that infringed on its copyright.
- The game, which has since ceased to be distributed, featured blatant copies of Ash and Charmander, among other elements.
- Previously, it was reported that the game had netted the Chinese company over $40 miilion in revenue.
- It’s unclear what the settlement figure is, but a public apology was also issued.
The tried-and-true formula of Pokémon has led to countless monster-catching clones, including the likes of Monster Hunter Stories and Ni No Kuni. Still, while the games do borrow heavily from the formula established by Game Freak, they offer their own distinct twists that make them stand out, as well as avoid any sort of legal trouble a 1:1 clone would bring.
That wasn’t the case for Pocket Monster: Remake, a blatant rip-off of Pokémon developed and released by Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology Co., Ltd, a Chinese company. As a result, The Pokémon Company took legal action against the company, leading to a “substantial” settlement.
Gotta Catch ‘Em All
As first spotted by Video Games Chronicle, The Pokémon Company announced that it had reached a settlement with the Chinese corporation responsible for creating and distributing the clone that infringed on its copyright.
Initially, the lawsuit was filed in December 2021, a game that had originally launched in 2015. At the time, The Pokémon Company requested the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court to help cease all work on the game, including development, distribution and promotion. Footage of the game, which was found by IGN, clearly showcases the likes of Ash and Charmander, among others.
According to Polygon, the game was so successful that it netted its creators over $40 million. In response, damages of 500 million yuan ($72.5 million) were requested, along with a public apology. The apology, which was released online, admitted to making extensive use of Pokémon copyrights. The settlement figure has not been shared publicly.
“We hereby sincerely apologize to TPC and other rights holders, as well as the vast number of players, consumers, and the general public,” the apology read.
In a statement released alongside the announcement, The Pokémon Company wrote, “Going forward, The Pokémon Company will continue to take all necessary steps to protect its intellectual properties, to enable its users worldwide to enjoy all Pokémon content with complete peace of mind.” In other words, inspiration is OK, blatant clones aren’t.
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