Overview

• The USPTO granted Nintendo U.S. Patent No. 12,403,397 covering in-game summoning of sub-characters, a scope analysts say reaches far beyond Pokémon titles.
• Patent expert Florian Mueller calls the approval a mistake and notes the filing leans on boilerplate technical language to present a gameplay rule as an invention.
• Former Pokémon Company legal chief Don McGowan predicts developers will ignore the patent, arguing abundant prior art would undercut any infringement case.
• Industry lawyers warn the patent can still chill smaller studios because defending a suit is costly, with Richard Hoeg saying its mere existence can deter investment.
• A related riding and flying patent, No. 12,409,387, was also allowed this week, and it remains unclear whether Nintendo will pursue U.S. litigation against Pocketpair's Palworld.