Pokémon takes legal action against the NFT game Pokéworld over bearing too much similarity to its own franchise
The Pokémon Company International has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Australian company Pokémon Pty Ltd, also known as Kotiota Studios, over its recently launched play-to-earn game, Pokéworld.
Quick Take:
- Pokéworld is a virtual world game in which players collect and trade virtual creatures, similar to Pokémon’s games, but integrating NFTs.
- The Pokémon Company argues that Pokéworld cannot use a name and branding similar to itself.
Pokémon vs. Pokéworld
Pokéworld is an NFT-powered game, though the extent to which NFTs are integrated into the final version of the game is unclear.
Similar to the concept of The Pokémon Company’s own games, Pokéworld is a virtual world game that allows players to collect and trade virtual creatures.
Pokémon argues that Pokéworld’s use of the word ‘Poké’ in its name and branding causes confusion among consumers, who may think the game is related to itself. Other issues include uncanny imagery.
As a consequence, Pokémon has requested a legal injunction to prevent Kotiota Studios from using its name in connection with the game, as well as the destruction of all materials related to the game and the removal of all advertising or promotional materials from any platform.
Pokéworld has generated some buzz within gaming and cryptocurrency communities already. Regardless, there’s no sign of Pokémon turning to NFTs.
Subscribe to the NFT Lately newsletter to receive news covering the latest NFT-related drops, releases, reviews, and more.
