Pokémon Secures Public Apology in a Legal Battle Over Clone Game
|
|
- The Pokémon Company reached a mediated settlement with Chinese operators of the clone game.
- Companies behind the unauthorized title issued a public apology and paid substantial damages.
- The rip-off game has now been completely removed from the market.
The Pokémon Company has reached a mediated settlement with Chinese operators of the mobile game that copied Pokémon’s characters and gameplay.
The settlement agreement announced earlier this week was reached under the guidance of the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province, China. The long-running legal battle culminated in an obligation to the companies behind the unauthorized game to pay substantial damages and issue a public apology.
While the exact financial settlement has not been revealed, The Pokémon Company had previously stated that it sought $72 million in compensation. The case began after the 2020th release of Pocket Monster: Remake, a game that closely mirrored Pokémon’s characters and gameplay mechanics without obtaining any legal rights to use the brand.
The dispute was initially settled in favor of The Pokémon Company in September 2024, but delays followed as respondent companies Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology and Khorgos Fangchi Network Technology appealed.
In the apology statement companies that created Pokémon’s clone title declared that their rip-off game has now been completely removed from the market.
