The US Patent and Trademark Office has just confirmed that it's re-examining the recent patent granted to Nintendo that allows players to summon a character to fight alongside them. Nintendo was originally granted this patent (patent number 12,403,397) by the USPTO on September 2, though re-examination could potentially lead to the patent being revoked.
While Nintendo has a long history of being particularly litigious, more eyes are on the company's legal dealings than ever before due to the ongoing lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair. Back in September 2024, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company filed a joint lawsuit that alleged Pocketpair had violated three of Nintendo's patents, including ones related to riding captured creatures and using them to battle on the player's behalf.
On November 4, Games Fray reported that US Patent and Trademark Office Director John A. Squires has "personally" ordered a re-examination of Nintendo's 12,403,397 patent that was originally granted back in September. The reason for this surprise re-examination is that Squires believes two prior patents may invalidate this most recent claim.
The first of these prior patents is one granted to Konami all the way back in 2002. This patent revolves around a player...
