The idea of a Pokémon clone isn’t protectable, but existing Pokémon are.
You can make a Pokémon clone with entirely novel monsters, but if a judge thinks they look too much like an existing Pokémon they’re gonna have a problem.
That’s really the issue. The creatures in the game, as I’ve seen pointed out in various places, are much closer in design to actual pokemon designs than in other poke-clone games, with some looking so close they might as well just be a regional form. I don’t even know any of the pals’ names but I can somewhat clearly recall seeing one that’s basically “Luxray at home”. I know the maker of the game has said he doesn’t really value originality, but there’s a difference between being unoriginal and straight-up plagiarism.
They’re similar because they’re based on the same real-world animals. And they’re no more similar to Pokemon than the examples of Pokemon ripping off designs from Dragon Quest
The idea of a Pokémon clone isn’t protectable, but existing Pokémon are.
You can make a Pokémon clone with entirely novel monsters, but if a judge thinks they look too much like an existing Pokémon they’re gonna have a problem.
That’s really the issue. The creatures in the game, as I’ve seen pointed out in various places, are much closer in design to actual pokemon designs than in other poke-clone games, with some looking so close they might as well just be a regional form. I don’t even know any of the pals’ names but I can somewhat clearly recall seeing one that’s basically “Luxray at home”. I know the maker of the game has said he doesn’t really value originality, but there’s a difference between being unoriginal and straight-up plagiarism.
They’re similar because they’re based on the same real-world animals. And they’re no more similar to Pokemon than the examples of Pokemon ripping off designs from Dragon Quest