3 Count: Pokemon with Litigation

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1: ‘Pokémon’ Is Suing ‘Palworld’ for Copyright Infringement

First off today, Issy van der Velde at NME reports that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have announced they are filing a lawsuit over the popular video game Palworld, alleging that the game infringes their patents.

Palworld quickly rose to fame earlier this year and was dubbed by fans and critics as “Pokémon with guns.” At the time, Nintendo said they would investigate the game but announced no immediate plans to file a lawsuit.

Now, nine months later, Nintendo has made that announcement. However, the plan isn’t to sue over copyright infringement. Instead, they allege that the game violates “multiple patent rights.” Neither Nintendo nor Palworld’s developer, Pocketpair, have commented directly on the lawsuit.

2: Judge Trims Legal Fees for Office Depot Over ‘Excessive’ Billing in Copyright Case

Next up today, Mike Scarcella at Reuters reports that a judge has trimmed Office Depot’s request for legal fees, cutting the amount awarded in half.

The case was originally filed by Infogroup (now Data Axle), which accused Office Depot of misusing licensed data to develop its business. However, Office Depot emerged victorious in the case prompting it to request legal fees.

However, the judge found that the requested $2 million in legal fees was excessive. The judge noted that many of the billing entries were “vague” or otherwise unclear. As such, the judge reduced the amount to $927,000. Infogroup has said they plan on appealing both this decision and the case as a whole.

3: Amazon Prime Video and MGM Studios Join Motion Picture Association

Finally today, Alex Weprin at The Hollywood Reporter writes that Amazon is joining the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

The move means that Amazon will work alongside other studios, including Paramount, Sony, Universal, Disney and Netflix in the organization. The MPA is well-known for its influence on public policy and anti-piracy efforts.

Amazon is joining through its Prime Video and MGM Studios subsidiary. Amazon has previously worked with the MPA, particularly with its anti-piracy subsidiary, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. MGM was also a member until 2005.

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