The Pokémon Company has finally won around $15 million lawsuit against games copying its characters. The case was against Chinese gaming platforms that were using Pokémon characters without any official deal, clearly indicating a case of copyright manipulation.
Apparently, Pocket Monster Reissue, also known as Koudaiyaoguai Fuke, a role-playing mobile game, blatantly used Pokémon characters such as Ash Ketchum and Pikachu. As per the news reports, the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court has ordered one of the six accused companies to pay 107 million Chinese yuan (around $15.08 million) in damages. Also, three out of six companies to bear the joint liability have filed for an appeal.
In its case file, the Pokémon Company informed the court that Pocket Monster Reissue, launched in 2015 earned over $42 million in a single year using unaltered Pikachu artwork. From the app icon to some popular Pokémon characters were presented in the accused company’s gaming platform which looked like a remake of the original version.
The chief legal officer of the Pokémon Company said that they are not against smaller creatives, but a certain copyright boundary needs to be respected. This is not the first time a Pokémon fan project has faced a legal notice, as the company is strict about protecting its intellectual rights.
Cases like these highlight the growing need for stricter policies to preserve the original art that does not hamper the artists’ hard work. In the meantime, fans can enjoy all the latest updates on Pokémon’s official YouTube channel.
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