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COLOPL settles patent infringement suit with Nintendo

Mobile developer COLOPL reaches a settlement with Nintendo after a three-year dispute.

Donovan Erskine

August 4, 2021 8:42 AM

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It was back in 2017 that COLOPL - mobile game developer behind several popular titles - found itself on the receiving end of a patent infringement lawsuit from Nintendo. This came as a result of the game White Cat Project, which Nintendo alleged was infringing upon one of its patents. Now, after a lengthy back-and-forth, the two sides have come to a settlement, with COLOPL set to pay Nintendo a hefty chunk of change.

Both Nintendo and COLOPL confirmed the settlement with posts to their respective website. Over on Nintendo’s page, the company states “The settlement is that COLOPL will pay the Company a settlement fee for the proceedings, including future licenses for the Company's patents, and the Company will will withdraw from proceedings” This deal allows COLOPL to continue development on White Cat Project without further legal pressure from Nintendo, in exchange for cash.

The COLOPL website essentially says the same things mentioned in the Nintendo statement. However, neither post reveals just how much money is involved in the settlement. However, a report from gameindustry.biz states that COLOPL is set to pay The Big N ¥3.3 billion, which translates to roughly $30 million USD. In exchange, Nintendo will grant the developer licensing rights to the patents that caused all of this trouble in the first place.

COLOPL is just one of many developers, both big and small, to find itself in legal hot water with Nintendo. That said, COLOPL’s story seems to have a happier ending than most, as it will be allowed to continue working on its projects, now with licensing (after paying a hefty fee). For more on the business side of the video game industry, Shacknews is your place.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_