Unauthorized PokeWorld NFT play faces legal action
The collectible NFT blockchain game, PokeWorld, is being sued by The Pokemon Company International for trademark infringement.
The NFT game is made by Australian-based creators under “Pokemon PTY LTD” and Kotiota Studios. The legal documents, archived December 2022, citing several violations of the law over the launch and advertising of the PokeWorld NFT game.
According to reports, Kotiota Studios had been advertising the game for months, claiming it was an official “play to earn” game featuring Pokemon that players could collect as digital pets.
The company showed off digital 3D models and 2D art of Pokemon, including Pikachu. It claimed to have worked on other Pokémon titles in the past, including Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and Pokemon sleep. However, Pokemon Company International denies these claims and has stated that Kotiota was never a contractor for the company.
The court documents seek to stop Pokemon PTY Ltd and Kotiota Studios from representing themselves as licensees to develop official Pokemon games and to shut down the PokeWorld website and all sales of NFTs. The filing also comes as The Pokemon Company International has deliberately decided not to release any Pokemon NFTs to protect the brand.
The Pokemon Company Int’l
It appears that The Pokemon Company International became aware of the PokeWorld game when Pokemon PTY Ltd began contacting the media with plans to launch the NFT game in January 2023. Given the lack of official Nintendo support, this raised red flags and led to the submission. of the legal documents.
As of now, the PokeWorld website remains online, although the company’s Twitter page has been suspended. It remains to be seen how The Pokemon Company International will proceed with the matter, but it is likely that the website will be shut down in the near future.
Pokemon is a massive Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokemon Company. Centered around fictional creatures called Pokemon, its creative setting led to numerous television series, video games, and various merchandise such as trading card games and toys.
Final thoughts
As we all know, Pokemon is a massive franchise, which can generate generations of billions if they decide to enter the crypto world. This had led to a number of Pokemon-inspired titles such as Axie Infinity, Pixelmonand CryptoKitties. The success of these titles has been palpable in the industry, with Axie Infinity being the highest grossing of them all.
However, it is important for developers to ensure that they are properly licensed and authorized to use intellectual property in their projects. Pokemon Company International’s decision to take legal action against the creators of PokeWorld serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting intellectual property rights.
While the success of games like Axie Infinity, Pixelmonand CryptoKitties shows the potential for success in the NFT space, it is important for developers to operate within the boundaries of the law to avoid legal problems and protect the integrity of their projects.
Edmond is a passionate writer for video games, GameFi and Web3. He has worked for top GameFi companies and video game/crypto news sites.
