The Pokémon Company is seeking 500 million yuan ($72.5 million USD) in damages for alleged copyright infringement in a lawsuit against six Chinese companies involved with the mobile game, Pocket Monster Reissue — also known as Koudaiyaogaai Fuke.
The South China Morning Post has reported that “The Pokémon Company has applied to the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court for an order to stop the development, distribution, operation and promotion of the game, according to the filing.”
In addition to financial remuneration, The Pokémon Company has demanded that the accused companies issue apologies on popular Chinese websites, social media platforms, and app storefronts.
Despite the lawsuit, Pocket Monster Reissue is still reportedly available on a number of app storefronts, including both Apple and Android in China.
Leaked images of app storefront advertisements used by Pocket Monster Reissue show art of unaltered Pokémon characters, Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, Tepig, and Oshawot, as well as the iconic red and white Pokéball.
Notably, Pokémon games are not widely available in China, so many playing may not be aware of the unlawful use of The Pokémon Company’s Intellectual Property. Exacerbating this, in 2017 Chinese censors banned the most universally accessible Pokémon game, Pokémon Go for concerns over “national security and the safety of people’s lives and property.”
The financial demands laid out in the lawsuit by The Pokémon Company reflect not only the level of property infringement but also the staggering profits made by the companies involved.
Released in 2015, Pocket Monster Reissue has proven immensely popular in China, and hugely lucrative for Zhongnan Heavy Industries (one of the companies involved in the lawsuit) — in 2016 alone the mobile game earned the company over 300 million yuan ($43.5 million USD).
Whilst updated figures relating to profit from the game are unavailable, Zhongnan Heavy Industries, reported “massive revenue increases in 2021.”
Words by Luke Horwitz
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