A US federal judge based out of Iowa ruled to dismiss a lawsuit filed against Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, calling it an “absurd” case. The case against Nintendo and Pokemon is far from the first time that both gaming giants have been targeted by lawsuits from individuals and organizations.
The legal teams of both Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are no strangers to the courtroom, given each company’s long history of litigation. For example, Pokemon was named in a lawsuit filed against an ex-employee of The Pokemon Company The former employee in question faced a civil lawsuit filed by an anonymous plaintiff who claimed that the defendant placed hidden cameras in the bathrooms at Pokemon‘s headquarters. Given that it is a pending case, it is unclear what The Pokemon Company’s involvement will be in the voyeurism suit.
Iowa Judge Dismisses Pokemon Professor Lawsuit
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Image: Niantic, Scopely, The Pokemon Company -
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Nintendo has a long legacy of litigation, but the company now has one less lawsuit to worry about thanks to a judge’s ruling. According to KCCI, US District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand ruled against a 34-year-old Iowa man named Kyle Owens after the latter sued Nintendo and The Pokemon Company International for $341,000 in punitive damages after he was denied Pokemon Professor status. Owens initially cited the Sherman Antitrust Act in his lawsuit. Owens claimed that not only was the denial of his Pokemon Professor certification personally harmful, the plaintiff stated that eliminating a qualified Iowa-based Pokemon event host was a blow to Pokemon consumer access within the state. Strand called the lawsuit a “completely frivolous waste of the court’s time and resources” in his ruling. Strand also called the $341,000 punitive damages requested by Owens “dubious, if not outright absurd.”
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Owens first filed his lawsuit in May 2026 after he was denied Pokemon Professor status two years prior by The Pokemon Company, despite passing a prerequisite exam with a 100% score. Following the exam, Owens stated that Pokemon ran a background check on him that claimed he had a pending arrest warrant from 2022 issued by another state over failing to appear in court for misdemeanor charges that included criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Ergo, The Pokemon Company stated that Owens’ application to the Pokemon Professor program was denied based on the results of the criminal background check. Strand stated in his ruling that becoming a Pokemon Professor was clearly contingent on the background check’s results, which Owens failed.
Given that a Pokemon Professor is considered a mentor and guide within the Pokemon franchise, the fact that The Pokemon Company denied Owens such a title is a testament to the high standards that come with it. Strand also dismissed three additional, unrelated lawsuits filed by Owens. Strand warned that any future filings from Owens that would be considered frivolous to begin with could see him face financial penalties from the court.
As for Nintendo, the company is turning its attention to two Nintendo Direct presentations that will air in the coming days. A 30-minute Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct will go live on September 8, while a 45-minute Nintendo Direct will be broadcast on September 9. Both presentations will start at 10:00 AM Eastern.
