Man sues Nintendo for denying him “Pokemon Professor” status
Dexerto • • technology
Key Points:
- Kyle Owens, a 34-year-old Iowa man, is suing Nintendo of America and The Pokemon Company International for $341,000 after being denied "Pokemon Professor" status following a background check.
- Owens alleges the companies violated federal antitrust laws and is seeking certification, restoration of program tools, and permission to host sanctioned Pokemon events.
- He claims to have passed the Pokemon Professor exam with a perfect score but was denied certification due to a pending arrest warrant from 2022 and a subsequent reduction in his exam score after the background check.
- Owens disputes the reasons given for his denial, arguing the misdemeanor charges did not result in guilty findings and that the denial harms competition by removing a qualified event host from the official program.
- Nintendo and The Pokemon Company International have yet to respond to the lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.