Pokemon Go creator sued by US homeownerHot Buzz

August 04, 2016 12:43
Pokemon Go creator sued by US homeowner

An American has filed a lawsuit after getting fed up with Pokemon Go players catching creatures on his property, against the creators of the widely popular location- based reality game.

Jeffrey Marder, of West Orange, New Jersey,  claimed that the developers have profited from encouraging millions of gamers to play Pokemon Go on or adjacent to private property without the consent of the land owners.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in California seeking damages or monetary relief over the game's use of real world locations, Pokestops and Pokegyms, where users will congregate to play the augmented reality game.

The game was released on July 6th and within days it has become the most downloaded mobile game ever. Using the GPS on a smartphone, the game encourages players to walk around in the real world searching for imaginary critters. The game uses the phone's camera to display Pokemon. Pokestops and Pokegyms are the meet-up points for gamers.

In the lawsuit, Marder has mentioned that within the first week of the game's release, "strangers began lingering outside of his home with their phones in hand".

Minimum five gamers had knocked on Marder's door asking for permission to catch Pokemon in the homeowner's backyard.

Marder said in the suit that these Pokemon were placed at his West Orange home by the game's developers without any permission.

The lawsuit named Niantic Inc, the Pokemon Company, and Nintendo Company.

The suit claimed that Niantic should be liable for the nuisance of the "intentional, unauthorised" placing Pokemon, Pokestops and Pokegyms, which disturbed property owners from enjoying their land.

According to the lawsuit, a Massachusetts homeowner whose property was shown as a Pokemon gym reported more than 15 uninvited visitors shortly after the game's release.

Other reported issues of privacy took place at an Alabama cemetery and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, which told players that it was "extremely inappropriate" to play the game there.

The lawsuit sought "damages, disgorgement or other monetary or equitable relief," along with a court order prohibiting the game's developers from continuing their current practices.

Also Read: US University includes Pokemon Go to its course!

By Prakriti Neogi

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Pokemon go  Nintendo Company  Pokestops