Nintendo refutes claims it had “any contact” with the Japanese government to lobby against genAI

Nintendo has issued a statement refuting claims it has been lobbying the Japanese government about protecting its intellectual property against generative AI.

In a now-deleted message posted to his verified X account, Japanese politician Satoshi Asano discussed OpenAI’s Sora 2 and the concerns some companies have raised about how to protect their IP against “significant” copyright infringement, erroneously claiming that Nintendo of America had allocated a budget for lobbying activities.

Over a series of messages, Asano apologized for disseminating “inaccurate information,” posted numerous explanations and apologies, and deleted the original post. He also participated in a YouTube livestream to further share his regret.

Nintendo, too, issued a statement, posting on X: “Contrary to recent discussions on the internet, Nintendo has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI.

“Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights.”

It’s unclear if Nintendo will take further action.

Nintendo recently secured a new patent that protects a common gameplay mechanic wherein an in-game character summons another sub-character to support it in battle. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted Nintendo patent number 12,403,397 on September 2, 2025. Submitted in March 2023, the patent application was approved uncontested despite the mechanic already existing in prior games, both within and outside of Nintendo’s own portfolio.