Firms face intellectual property claim over infrastructure game tested in Japan

MAEBASHI -- TEPCO Power Grid Inc. and two Singaporean companies are facing an intellectual property violation claim over a smartphone app that enables users to check civil infrastructure, which was being tested in this city in a "world first" demonstration experiment, it was revealed on April 22.

The game app, PicTree, was developed by a Singapore partnership including game company Digital Entertainment Asset Pte. together with TEPCO Power Grid, a subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Holdings Inc.

The nonprofit Whole Earth Foundation (WEF) says PicTree bears extreme similarities to its Tekkon app, from the way it is used to its content. In both Tekkon and PicTree, civilian users send in photos of utility poles in games, leading to social contribution as the images can be used for civil infrastructure maintenance.

The Tekkon app is used for events called "Denchu seisen" ("Utility pole holy battle") while the joint Japan-Singapore project game is titled "Boku to watashi no denchu gassen" ("Our utility pole battle").

Tekkon has been rolled out in Southeast Asia and elsewhere since 2022, and experimental trials were conducted with the app in Japan under partnerships with companies including Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Tohoku Electric Power Co. and related businesses. PicTree first launched this month in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture's capital.

After publicizing the partnership with TEPCO Power Grid as part of efforts to improve the city's attractiveness, the Maebashi Municipal Government on April 10 received a complaint from WEF. The partnership was dissolved with the TEPCO subsidiary pulling out, and a press release and video of a mayoral press conference have been removed from the city government's website.

A TEPCO Power Grid official stated, "We haven't heard WEF's complaint directly, but have been informed by the game developers that there is no intellectual property infringement."

WEF is considering suing the TEPCO subsidiary and others.

(Japanese original by Ryuko Tadokoro, Maebashi Bureau)