- Pocket Monster: Remake was a turn-based RPG that blatantly copied the Pokémon franchise, including various characters and features.
- The two Chinese companies issued an apology and pledged to avoid infringing on any related intellectual property in the future.
- They have paid a substantial economic price to The Pokémon Company, and the game has been discontinued and removed from the market.
The Pokémon Company has announced that they reached a mediated settlement in a copyright infringement lawsuit on the Chinese mobile game Pocket Monster: Remake, also known as The Pocket Journey which is a blatant rip-off of the Pokémon series. Operators of the said app, Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology Co., Ltd and its subsidiary, Khorgos Fangchi Network Technology have also issued an apology for this.
The Pokémon Company and the creators of Pocket Monster: Remake have finally reached an agreement
Pocket Monster: Remake was a turn-based RPG that copied the Pokemon franchise without adding anything of their own, featuring iconic characters like Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, and more along with other features. Released in 2015, this game generated over $42 million in revenue in a single year.
In December 2021, The Pokémon Company filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against this rip-off game at Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court in Guangzhou Province, claiming ¥500 million ($72 million) in damages and demanding public apologies from the two Chinese companies.
They won the case in September 2024, and the court ordered the Chinese companies to pay ¥107 million (about $14.7 million). However, the companies appealed, leading to another trial. According to Automaton‘s report, on December 18, 2024, a second hearing was held, and under the mediation of the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province, Pokémon Company and the two companies settled.
The two Chinese companies have issued an apology and further discontinued the game
An apology was issued by them, acknowledging that the game had, “extensively used design elements of the well-known Pokémon Video Game Series” and admitted that their “copyright infringement and acts of unfair competition have caused significant economic losses to the rights holders.“
Although the exact settlement amount is not disclosed yet, the two companies stated, “We have paid a substantial economic price and incurred significant reputational damage.” They have since discontinued the game and removed it from the app stores.
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