It seems unlikely that any franchise will ever dethrone Super Mario as Nintendo’s top seller. Still, Pokémon has made a lot of money for the gaming giant – overshadowing other popular titles like The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing. However, the franchise has encountered many intellectual property issues, including a wild Pokémon trademark dispute appearing out of nowhere.

Nintendo is no stranger to intellectual property disputes. They recently lost a Super Mario trademark case while still engaged in a battle against the Pocketpair brand over the Palworld game. However, the latest fight Nintendo has found itself in involves one of the brand’s most adorable characters: Jigglypuff.

Surprise: Jigglypuff Isn’t a Registered Pokémon Trademark

Certain names are synonymous with Pokémon. Pikachu is certainly one of them, and Charizard is also at the top of the list. However, Jigglypuff is undeniably a fan favorite. Considering the many licensing deals involving the character between Nintendo and other brands, one would assume that the gaming company owns a trademark registration for the character.

Not only would this assumption be inaccurate, but it turns out that another brand trademarked the word “Jigglypuff” several years ago. Back in 2022, the Yiwu FeiMeng Jewelry Company secured registration over “Jigglypuff” in trademark class 14, which essentially includes various jewelry items. Of course, Jigglypuff was an original Pokémon character from 1996.

This would give Nintendo priority over the word. Interestingly enough, the company never trademarked the name. Even after decades of use and licensing agreements, a company other than Nintendo managed to secure intellectual property rights over “Jigglypuff” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Gotta Catch ’em All: Nintendo Goes After Jigglypuff

In a trademark cancellation filing submitted on April 22, 2025, Nintendo claimed that the Yiwu FeiMeng Jewelry Company should not have rights over the word “Jigglypuff.” To be clear, Nintendo does not own a federal trademark registration for the popular character. In fact, Nintendo lists “NONE” as the trademark cited as justification for their cancellation request.

However, there’s no denying that “Jigglypuff” is directly linked to the Pokémon franchise in the minds of consumers. In the filing, Nintendo states that, for decades, they “used and licensed others to use the trademark JIGGLYPUFF with a broad variety of goods and services, including trading card games, toys, jewelry, phone accessories, clothing, and bags.”

This fact seems undeniable, and to be fair, Nintendo likely has common law trademark rights over the character, its name, and anything related to Jigglypuff. Still, the trademark issue at hand underscores the importance of filing a trademark application. Failing to do so has left Nintendo in its current situation.

What Happens Now?

Nintendo currently has a lot on its plate when it comes to intellectual property disputes. However, its battle with the Yiwu FeiMeng Jewelry Company is unlikely to result in major issues. After all, “Jigglypuff” is a fairly distinctive trademark – even if Nintendo failed to secure the appropriate federal paperwork.

When a consumer hears the word “Jigglypuff,” they many are likely to think about Pokémon. Nintendo’s filing further claims that the jewelry company never actually used the trademark in commerce. If true, this would end the matter as well.

As of now, the Yiwu FeiMeng Jewelry Company has until June 1, 2025, to file an answer with the USPTO if it wants to protect its registration. If Nintendo succeeds in its efforts, it’ll likely waste no time securing the trademark for Jigglypuff. For now, a victory for the jewelry company seems less likely than capturing a wild Mewtwo on your first attempt.

…or so the kids say.