Nintendo Pokemon-style patent rejected by US office over lack of originality

Nintendo patent on character summoning mechanics rejected by US office but company can still contest decision

Nintendo’s patent covering a character-summoning gameplay mechanic has been rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), following a formal re-examination process that reviewed the originality of its claims.

The patent, granted in 2025, described a system in which players summon characters to fight in two modes: one automatic and one fully controlled by the player.

At the time of approval, legal experts and patent analysts raised concerns, arguing the concept was too broad and not sufficiently innovative to warrant protection.

In March 2026, a USPTO examiner rejected all 26 claims associated with the patent. According to the review, none of the elements presented was considered new enough to qualify for legal protection under US patent standards.

The examiner based the decision on four prior patent applications, including two previously filed by Nintendo and two from Konami and Bandai Namco, concluding that the mechanics were already established.

The patent had already been flagged by the USPTO director in November 2025, prompting the rare step of ordering a full re-examination.

Patent experts at the time noted that such reviews are uncommon and typically indicate concerns about the validity of a granted patent.

The outcome has implications beyond Nintendo’s own intellectual property. The patent was linked to a 2024 lawsuit filed by the company in Japan against Palworld developer Pocketpair.

The case raised wider industry concerns about whether large publishers could use broadly defined patents to challenge smaller studios developing similar gameplay systems.

The USPTO decision is currently classified as non-final, meaning Nintendo has the option to respond and contest the rejection. The process could continue for several months as the company seeks to defend its claims.