Class action: Pokémon Go encourages trespassing

“Attorneys representing a New Jersey personal injury lawyer have brought a class-action suit against the company they say is responsible for an ‘unlawful and wrongful’ invasion of the man’s property.” To quote from the complaint “filed against the game’s developer, San Francisco-based Niantic Inc.:”

In the days following the U.S. release of Pokémon Go, Plaintiff became aware that strangers were gathering outside of his home, holding up their mobile phones as if they were taking pictures. At least five individuals knocked on Plaintiff’s door, informed Plaintiff that there was a Pokémon in his backyard, and asked for access to Plaintiff’s backyard in order to “catch” the Pokémon.

[Jacob Gershman/WSJ Law Blog, Variety; earlier on Pokémon Go here, here]

3 Comments

  • Be careful for your actions next time or else you will not only be gathering in your neighbor’s house but you might end up directly in jail. This is just a friendly reminder. Remember that!

  • His putative class appears to be everyone who owns property that either is or is near a Pokestop. That seems like wishful thinking given that the vast majority of class members don’t even know their property may be near such a location. It’s a stupid claim by itself, but at least this guy was somewhat inconvenienced by idiots (that doesn’t mean he should be suing of course). Almost everyone else in the class hasn’t been bothered at all.

  • Gotta Sue them all!