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posted by martyb on Wednesday August 03 2016, @01:21PM   Printer-friendly
from the Pokémon-Go-Away! dept.

Niantic faces a class action lawsuit for encouraging trespassing on private property:

When Niantic released Pokemon Go, it randomly placed Pokémon, Pokéstops and Pokémon Gyms all over the world. Players of the game wander the real world and use smartphones to capture Pokemon, buy items and fight Pokemon Gym leaders.

"To create that immersive world, Niantic made unauthorized use of Plaintiff's and other Class members' property by placing Pokéstops and Pokémon gyms thereupon or nearby," said Jennifer Pafiti in the lawsuit. "In so doing, Niantic has encouraged Pokémon Go's millions of players to make unwanted incursions onto the properties of plaintiff, and other members of the class, a clear and ongoing invasion of their use and enjoyment of their land from which defendants have profited and continue to profit."

Due to the randomized placement of the Pokémon, Pokéstops and Pokémon Gyms, they have turned up in some unwanted locations such as in houses, cemeteries and museums. According to Jeffrey Marder, a man living in New Jersey, he received at least five unwelcome visitors that wanted access to his backyard to catch Pokémon within the first week of the game's launch.

"Plaintiff and other Class members have all suffered and will continue to suffer harm and damages as a result of Defendants' unlawful and wrongful conduct. A class action is superior to other available methods for the fair and efficient adjudication of this controversy," said Pafiti.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by richtopia on Wednesday August 03 2016, @04:02PM

    by richtopia (3160) on Wednesday August 03 2016, @04:02PM (#383631) Homepage Journal

    I was discussing this at dinner last night. This could be a revenue stream for Pokemon! They already sell stuff to attract users, so why not something to repel them?

    Granted, this is somewhat like blackmail, but the pokemon are adorable!

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 03 2016, @04:20PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 03 2016, @04:20PM (#383638)

    And we'd also get another lawsuit.

  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 03 2016, @05:22PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 03 2016, @05:22PM (#383677)

    You try to make me pay to get rid of them and I will sue you.

    You don't have the right to bait kids to my yard and then offer to make them go away if I pay a fee.

  • (Score: 2) by TheRaven on Wednesday August 03 2016, @05:22PM

    by TheRaven (270) on Wednesday August 03 2016, @05:22PM (#383678) Journal
    You're not the first to think that [geekculture.com].
    --
    sudo mod me up
  • (Score: 2) by looorg on Thursday August 04 2016, @01:54AM

    by looorg (578) on Thursday August 04 2016, @01:54AM (#383881)

    Perhaps one should just turn once store (or whatever kind of property it is) into a Faraday cage. That should kill the signal and disconnect you from the game shouldn't it? Getting a phone jammer would do the trick to I guess (legality of said device not taken into consideration) ... or I guess we could just wait a few months and for most people this fad have probably blown over and they are onto the next new cool thing whatever this is and life goes on.