The Pokemon Company Suing PAX Party for Using the Pokemon Name

PAX, of course, is more than just an opportunity for game developers to show off the games and projects they've been working on; it's also a chance for members of the gaming community to come together to celebrate the culture they love. Specifically, two gentleman who go by Ramar Larkin Jones and Zach Shore decided to host the fifth Unofficial Pokemon Pax Kickoff Party on August 21st. They had a DJ, dancing, prizes, a Smash Bros. tournament.

And The Pokemon Company, the first and last authority on all things Pokemon, upon hearing of this affectionate Pokemon-themed party, has decided to sue the everloving crap out of the two hosts.

This isn't just a mere warning or a slap on the wrist: the Pokemon Company is out for blood. They're looking to sue them for statutory damages within the higher range allowed, they want recovery of attorney's fees and costs of suit and the actual damages suffered by TPCi as a result of Defendant's infringement, and any profits of the defendants that are attributable to the infringement. So they're not just suing these guys, they want every cent they've earned hosting this event for the five years it's been around.

So, what's the basis of this lawsuit? Well, the two gentlemen used official Pokémon artwork and characters in their promotional material, and perhaps more damning, they charged money for people to attend so by The Pokemon Company's logic, they were making money using their copyrighted IP and that just won't fly.

But the most interesting thing is the phrase within the higher range allowed--yeah, The Pokemon Company doesn't just want to scare them, they really do want to drain them dry. A terrifying reward for their affection for your IP, huh?

This... is honestly an awe-inspiring level of dickery from the Pokemon Folks. I mean, the Twitch Plays Pokemon guy got a lot more attention and money from directly streaming the Pokemon Games, and these guys, who just used Pokemon Pictures and the name, are getting destroyed in court? Where's the logic in that?

Ugh. I'll keep an eye out for updates to this story. Hopefully the Pokemon Company will comment publicly on the lawsuit soon.