Sega Files Lawsuit Against Memento Mori Developer

Publisher Sega has filed a lawsuit against developer Bank of Innovation, the makers of the mobile RPG Memento Mori. Sega's lawsuit comes soon after Nintendo takes legal action versus Palworld's developer Pocketpair.

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By Kat Robustelli

According to Otaku Research Institute (via GamesIndustry.biz), Sega is suing Bank of Innovation for ¥1 billion ($6.6 million) in damages. The lawsuit states Bank of Innovation has infringed on a number patents held by Sega that can be found in Memento Mori and Phantom Beast Contract Cryptract, an older game released by the developer. Bank of Innovation has stated that it did not infringe on the patents and that it will back up these claims in court. It also said that Memento Mori will continue to be downloadable by any means necessary and that the outcome of the lawsuit will not affect the game's availability.

Mobile Developer Behind Memento Mori Is Being Sued by Sega

Industry consultant Dr. Serkan Toto did state that Bank of Innovation is a small studio and that ¥1 billion in damages would deal a massive blow to it. Dr. Toto mentioned that the developer tried to negotiate with Sega, but could not reach an agreement with the publisher, which then led to the lawsuit. He also suggested that the gaming industry might see a new trend in larger Japanese studios looking for damages from smaller ones that release hit games, especially since Sega is suing soon after Nintendo announced a lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair.

Sega is claiming that Bank of Innovation infringed on five patents that they own, including Japanese Patent No. 5930111. Another patent includes a mechanic that helps to alleviate "conflicting psychological issues" that arise when gamers play titles that have low drop rates on items, such as rare cards, and allows mobile games to be enjoyed without players having to carry a large number of controlling items with them at all times. Bank of Innovation mentioned that it is currently unknown how the situation will affect the studio's financial performance. Gamers will have to wait to see what impact Sega's legal action will have, and if the trend that Dr. Toto suggested may happen due to both this and the Nintendo lawsuit will come about.