Iowa man sues Nintendo for $341,000 and demands 'Pokemon professor certification'
An Iowa man is suing Nintendo for $341,000 demanding 'Pokemon professor certification' in a new lawsuit against the gaming giant.
While PlayStation has faced backlash over forcing players to scan their faces or lose access to features, a YouTuber landed in trouble for playing retro consoles. But now the tables have turned after one man is going head to head with the gaming giant in a new lawsuit.
After his background check flagged a pending arrest warrant, an Iowa man is suing Nintendo for $341,000 after being denied 'Pokémon Professor'. The status is an official certification within the Play! Pokémon programme.
Kyle Owens of Laurens, Iowa, filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, accusing Nintendo of America and its affiliate, The Pokémon Company International, of violating federal antitrust laws.
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Beyond the financial damages, the suit is also seeking an injunction that would grant Owens the Pokémon Professor certification, provide him with access to 'official Professor tools', and allow him to host sanctioned Pokémon events.
According to the Pokémon website, certified Professors can work as assistants, judges, and ambassadors in the Play! Pokémon platform.
“The Pokémon Professor program is not merely recreational,” the lawsuit stated. "[The program] functions as a structured certification and authorization system, granting official status, access to official event tools, the ability to host sanctioned card and video-game matches, listing in an event locator, and opportunities that generate business traffic, customer attendance, product sales, good will and commercial advantage."
Owens claims he sat the Pokémon Professor test on March 12, 2024, and was told he passed with a perfect score of 100%. He was subsequently informed he could take his 'first steps as a Pokémon Professor' following a routine background check.
Things took a turn when the background check revealed Owens had a pending arrest warrant issued by another state in 2022.
It showed the 34-year-old failed to appear in court on misdemeanour charges, including disorderly conduct involving fighting, possession or sale of an offensive weapon, and criminal mischief by causing property damage.
In response, the Pokémon Company International wrote to Owens that his 'application to the professor program has been denied.' The letter also indicated that, as a result, his test score had been revised down to 80%, meaning he was now considered to have failed.
However, Owens disputed the grounds for his rejection, describing it as an 'old, low-level felony that was more than 10 years old.'
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company International have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.