The Pokémon Company wins $15m copyright lawsuit against Chinese Pokémon clone
Companies behind Pocket Monster Reissue ordered to pay millions in damages
The Pokémon Company has won a $15m copyright and intellectual property theft lawsuit against several Chinese companies over the game Pocket Monster Reissue.
As reported by GamesBiz (translated by Automaton), the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court has found that the turn-based RPG – also known as Koudaiyaoguai Fuke – had knowingly infringed The Pokémon Company's copyright, including lifting characters like Ash Ketchum and Pikachu.
One of the six companies taken to court has been ordered to pay over $15m in damages. Some of firms ordered to bear joint liability are filing appeals.
According to The South China Morning Post, Pocket Monster Reissue is thought to have generated around $42m a year. The Pokémon Company had originally sued for $72m in damages and demanded a public apology for the infringement.
The Pokémon Company said it would continue to protect its intellectual property so that its many fans around the world could continue to enjoy Pokémon content.