Iowa Man Sues Nintendo, Pokemon Company for $341,000 Over Denied Professor Certification
Updated
Updated · GameRant · May 19
Iowa Man Sues Nintendo, Pokemon Company for $341,000 Over Denied Professor Certification
10 articles · Updated · GameRant · May 19
Kyle Owens, 34, filed suit against Nintendo and The Pokemon Company International after they denied him entry to the Pokemon Professor program and seeks both $341,000 in damages and the certification.
Owens says he scored 100% on the 2024 exam, but a background check flagged a pending out-of-state arrest warrant tied to misdemeanor charges including disorderly conduct, an offensive weapon count and property damage.
The lawsuit claims the companies first cited an old felony more than 10 years old, then shifted to the three misdemeanor charges, and says his exam score was later changed from 100% to 80%.
Pokemon Professors can serve as judges, assistants and event hosts in the Play! Pokemon system, so Owens argues the denial cuts competition and consumer access by removing an Iowa-based organizer from official organized play.
Neither company had responded at publication, setting up another legal fight for Nintendo, which is already involved in other gaming-related court battles.
Does one fan's lawsuit over a background check reveal anti-competitive practices within Nintendo's Pokémon Professor program?
Can Nintendo legally deny a top-scoring applicant based on pending charges, or is this an abuse of market power?