The Pokémon Company has partnered with LINE Yahoo! to implement new measures aimed at creating a fair environment for Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) players in Japan.
Effective October 13, Japanese e-commerce sites Yahoo! Flea Market and Yahoo! Auctions are prohibiting listings of Pokémon TCG cards by the carton, as well as listings of empty boxes and packs. Bulk listings of the same item will also be prohibited for a certain period following the release of new Pokémon TCG products. This measure will first apply to the Pokémon Card Game 30th Celebration set (the next wave, featuring Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Battle Decks, is set to release on October 23).
The Pokémon Company and LINE Yahoo! first signed a memorandum of understanding in July 2023, agreeing to cooperate on measures aimed at creating a society where trading cards can be bought and sold safely and securely. Since then, The Pokémon Company has provided LINE Yahoo! with information on new product releases and product details, as well as reports of listings that infringe on its rights. In turn, LINE Yahoo! has issued warnings to its users and removed listings that violate its terms of service and other policies.
Following further discussions, the two companies have now agreed to strengthen their information-sharing efforts and implement further measures. In addition to the product and infringement-related information it has shared so far, The Pokémon Company will now provide LINE Yahoo! with information on products and distribution channels in the secondary market that could lead to disputes or inappropriate transactions. LINE Yahoo! will continue to take measures to promote fair trading on its platforms, including enforcing the new listing restrictions.
