Former Pokemon Company Lawyer Thinks Palworld Is a Ripoff

Ever since it was launched, people worldwide have been debating whether Palworld is its own thing or just a plagiarized version of Pokemon. Things escalated even more as a newPokemon modfor the game came out. Amidst this entire discourse, the ex-chief legal officer of the Pokemon Company, Don McGowan, has given his two cents on the matter.

In a recent edition ofGame Fileby Stephen Totilo, McGowan shared his thoughts on the game. When asked about what he made of Palworld, he responded with the fact that the game is the “usual ripoff nonsense” that he used to encounter frequently back in his day.

However, he was surprised that the developers made it this far. This doesn’t answer whether Pocketpair crosses the line of legality. But, McGowan makes it clear that he is disinterested in the game but surprised that such a project even launched.

“This looks like the usual ripoff nonsense that I would see a thousand times a year when I was Chief Legal Officer of Pokémon. I’m just surprised it got this far.” – Don McGown

Amidst ongoing debate, the Pokemon Company is mum about the title. The parent company of the sensational monster-catching RPG is notorious for issuing litigations and DMCA takedowns of fan projects. With Palworld receiving fan mods of Pokemon, it is surprising for the company to stay silent without taking any action.

Previously, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizone spoke with the Japanese siteAutomation, claiming that the game cleared legal reviews. He also claimed that they make their games “very seriously” and have no intention of infringing on intellectual properties.現在、弊社のアーティストに対して誹謗中傷が届いており、殺害予告に近いようなツイートも散見されます。パルワールドに関して様々な意見を頂いておりますが、パルワールドに関する制作物の監修は全て私を含めた複数人で行っており、制作物の責任は私にあります。…— Takuro Mizobe | Craftopia, Palworld (@urokuta_ja)January 22, 2024

現在、弊社のアーティストに対して誹謗中傷が届いており、殺害予告に近いようなツイートも散見されます。パルワールドに関して様々な意見を頂いておりますが、パルワールドに関する制作物の監修は全て私を含めた複数人で行っており、制作物の責任は私にあります。…— Takuro Mizobe | Craftopia, Palworld (@urokuta_ja)January 22, 2024

Recently, Takuro posted a response on hisX account(formerly Twitter), requesting people to stop online abuse. In a recent article byBloomberg, Brandon Huffman of Odin Law & Media says Pocketpair has nothing to worry about. So, in the end, it falls on Nintendo and Pokemon Company to do their thing.

Palworld is currently out for PC via Steam early access, Game Pass, and Xbox via Game Preview. Let us know if you’ve tried the game and your thoughts about it in the comments below.

Sampad Banerjee

Meet Sampad, Beebom’s in-house video game enthusiast and writer. With two years of freelance experience, he has passionately crafted articles about the games he loves. You can find his writings on Sportskeeda, Gamingbolt, and GGTalks.

During work hours, he covers the latest gaming news, creates how-to guides, and occasionally shares video game reviews. In his free time, he enjoys building Gundam model kits, planning his next cosplay, and play his favorite RPG games.

Add new comment

Name

Email ID

Δ

01

02

03

04

05