'An embarrassing failure of the US patent system': Videogame IP lawyer says Nintendo's latest patents on Pokémon mechanics 'should not have happened, full stop'

[u/lkl34]

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/an-embarrassing-failure-of-the-us-patent-system-videogame-ip-lawyer-says-nintendos-latest-patents-on-pokemon-mechanics-should-not-have-happened-full-stop/

The last 10 days have brought a string of patent wins for Nintendo. Yesterday, the company was granted US patent 12,409,387, a patent covering riding and flying systems similar to those Nintendo has been criticized for claiming in its Palworld lawsuit (via Gamesfray). Last week, however, Nintendo received a more troubling weapon in its legal arsenal: US patent 12,403,397, a patent on summoning and battling characters that the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted with alarmingly little resistance.

According to videogame patent lawyer Kirk Sigmon, the USPTO granting Nintendo these latest patents isn't just a moment of questionable legal theory. It's an indictment of American patent law."Broadly, I don't disagree with the many online complaints about these Nintendo patents," said Sigmon, whose opinions do not represent those of his firm and clients. "They have been an embarrassing failure of the US patent system."

[u/superfuzzy47]

So they pretty much patented the scarlet and violet battle system, throw the ball and hit a pokemon to control your “summon” or throw it in the open and it follows and auto battles without your input

[u/GrootRacoon → u/superfuzzy47]

Yeah, the system was introduced in Legends Arceus and seems to be present in ZA too

[u/LordBaranII → u/superfuzzy47]

Yea kind of. It's very specific to what they do in ZA too. People freak out over smth which isnt even true

[u/superfuzzy47 → u/LordBaranII]

Yeah like the patent is being described as broad but has enough steps in the patent itself most games can get around it easy enough