Explore / The IP and its owners
The IP
Pokémon IP (characters, copyrights, trademarks)
The characters, names and logos everything else is built on. Trademarks sit with Nintendo, Creatures and Game Freak; copyright is shared four ways with TPC.
In numbers
2.1% The share of votes won by the most popular Pokémon, Greninja, in the worldwide fan vote of 2020. Pokémon of the Year 2020
Why it matters TPC runs the brand, but the name and the creatures sit with the founders, which is why a licence exists at all.
Connections
Owned by
- Nintendo On record Trademark co-owner (with Creatures and Game Freak) and copyright co-owner; shares not stated.
- Creatures Inc. On record Trademark and copyright co-owner; share not stated.
- Game Freak On record Trademark and copyright co-owner; share not stated.
- The Pokémon Company On record Copyright co-owner (one of four) and the brand's manager.
- The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) On record Holds the registered US copyrights and licenses them.