I saw the Pokémon patent when they came out and didn’t want to comment, because I knew some people are gonna twist it. Lo and behold, Elon stan Florian Mueller, aka Games Fray, delivered a load of misinformation using incendiary languages. (See my previous post on why Games Fray is a questionable source)
Inane claim 1: Nintendo now owns summoning a character and letting it fight another.
→ That’s not how software patent works. A patent doesn’t grant you “ownership” over a broad concept. Just like Square Enix didn’t own active time battle despite their patents (1991-2011). Grandia and other contemporaries had similar battle systems with no legal problem.
Inane claim 2: The patent examiners and judges of two leading nations (US & Japan) are so inept, that they rubber-stamped such “legal pollution” and “fundamental threat”.
→ This is the same rhetoric that anti-vaxxers use to sow distrust against immunologists and the healthcare system. Why bother substantiating your arguments when you can just throw the whole system under the bus?
Inane claim 3: Nintendo’s patenting everything and it’ll ignite an arm race.
→ If this was a race, Nintendo already lost. Their gaming patent portfolio ranked distant #5, and there’s no sign of increased volume in recent years. (More details here)
And inexplicably, Mr. Mueller neglected to inform the readers that the summoning patent was already granted in Japan in May 2024—so it’s neither “new” nor “shocking”. Based on his past posts, we can be certain that Mueller monitors Japanese patents related to the Palworld case, so he’s feigning ignorance just for this instance. Why would he do such a thing? 🤔
To Windows Central and other media regurgitating Games Fray uncritically: Reporters are supposed to have a journalistic BS meter. Try turning it on?
[Originally posted on 2025-09-10 Pacific Time]
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