How a Chinese Carbon Copy of Pokemon Survived for 6 Years Before Getting SUED and Deleted...

In July 20 15, a Chinese mobile game called Pocket Monster: Remake was released, and it wasn't exactly subtle about what it was copying. The turn-based RPG straight up used Pokémon characters and creatures, along with imagery and other elements taken directly from the Pokémon video game series. The game became surprisingly successful, reportedly generating more than $42 million in revenue in a single year. But after years of operating, The Pokémon Company finally took legal action. In December 20 21, it sued six companies involved with developing and operating the game in China, accusing them of copyright infringement and unfair competition. The Pokémon Company was seeking around 500 million yuan, or roughly $72 million, in damages, along with public apologies from the companies involved. The case eventually went before the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, which ruled in Pokémon's favor on July 12, 20 24. The court found that the defendants had infringed copyrights belonging to the Pokémon video game series and had also violated China's Unfair Competition Prevention Act. One of the companies, Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology, was ordered to pay 107 million yuan in damages, equivalent to roughly $15 million at the time, while several other companies were given partial joint liability for the damages. But the defendants appealed the ruling, so the case wasn't over yet. During the second-instance proceedings, The Pokémon Company and two of the Chinese companies reached a mediated settlement under the guidance of the Guangdong High People's Court. The final financial terms weren't disclosed, but the companies later issued a public apology admitting that Pocket Monster: Remake had extensively used design elements from the Pokémon video game series, infringed its copyrights, and unfairly taken advantage of the franchise's fame and reputation. The developers announced that the game had been completely removed from the market and that its operations had ceased. They also acknowledged that they had paid a substantial economic price and suffered significant reputational damage. Somehow, the blatant Pokémon copycat had managed to make tens of millions of dollars before a lawsuit led to the complete shutdown of the game. #gaming #lawsuit #pokemon