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Cygames and Konami Digital Entertainment announced today that they have resolved their patent disagreement regarding Cygames’ mobile title Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a hugely popular anime racehorse-girl management game in which racehorses are reborn as cute anime girls, complete with equine ears and tails. The franchise started off in 2018 as an anime, followed by a Japan-only release of the mobile game in 2021. In the game, players can talk to, train and manage horse-girls like Special Week and Mejiro McQueen, sharing in their triumphs and losses. As a result, the Umamusume franchise has inspired a cult following, and many fans have become interested in the real-life Japanese racehorses behind their favorite characters.
Back in March 2023, Konami filed a lawsuit against Cygames, claiming that Cygame’s Umamusume: Pretty Derby infringed upon 18 of its patents. Konami originally called for over 4 billion yen (approx. $26 million at current exchange rates) in damages, and for Cygames to cease all production, usage and distribution of the mobile game. In response, Cygames requested invalidation trials against all the patents involved.
Cygames revealed in a press release today that it has decided to settle the disagreement to ensure that players can continue to enjoy Umamusume: Pretty Derby in the long run. Despite this decision, Cygames “remains confident that no patent infringement has occurred.”
Both Konami and Cygames expressed respect for each other’s creators and games in their press releases about the settlement. Cygames stated that their group company “respects the efforts of creators at companies in the game industry, including Konami Digital Entertainment, and the numerous games they have created.” In turn, Konami commented that “we will respect each other’s creative works and strive to provide content and services that please our customers.”
According to a press release from 2023, Cygames had been in discussion with Konami about patent rights “pertaining to certain aspects of Umamusume: Pretty Derby’s game systems and programs,” however, it seems Konami disagreed with Cygames and filed the lawsuit. Both companies have been secretive about exactly which aspects of Umamusume: Pretty Derby caused the disagreement. Considering Konami’s history of making sports management games like Powerful Pro Baseball, it is possible that Umamusume: Pretty Derby’s in-game system for training its anime horse girls was part of the issue.
Both companies stress that due to a confidentiality agreement, the details of the settlement will not be made public.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
