The augmented-reality game Pokémon Go took the world by surprise over the last month with its popularity. That’s not very good news for people who have discovered that their homes or spots nearby are Pokéstops or gyms, spots where players might walk past to gather free items, or gather to battle their characters. Now one man who is tired of telling people that they can’t catch Pokémon in his backyard has filed a suit that seeks class action status.
Yes, this man is literally making a federal case out of wanting some kids off his lawn. It claims to be on behalf of himself and other property owners, who are not thrilled to have people stampeding into their property with their phones out.
Local landmarks become the power-up spots called Pokéstops and the battle arenas called gyms, but those landmarks could be anything from a public park to an interesting statue or mural on private property.
We learned a few interesting things from this lawsuit [PDF] namely, that the long-suffering homeowners at the house used as the exterior location for main character Walter White’s house on Breaking Bad have to deal with the house being a Pokêstop.
“Plaintiff discovered [that the game had invaded his real life] when, during the week of Pokémon Go’s release, strangers began lingering outside of his home with their phones in hand,” his lawyer writes in the initial complaint. “At least five individuals knocked on Plaintiff’s door and asked for access to Plaintiff’s backyard in order to ‘catch’ Pokémon that the game had placed at Plaintiff’s residence in West Orange, New Jersey—without Plaintiff’s permission.”
Depending on the size of his property, the critters might move to easily accessible public areas next door, but if his yard is large enough, it could indeed be impossible to catch the creatures without going on private poperty.
Pokemon Goes to Court in Backyard Monster Trespassing Case [Bloomberg Technology]
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist