We are certainly a litigious society, and lawsuits will often pop up in some of the most unexpected places. One of those places might just be in a spot where a rare Pokémon is hiding, if a recent lawsuit holds any merit. An angry New Jersey man has filed a federal lawsuit against Niantic, as well as Nintendo and the Pokémon Company, claiming that Pokémon GO has placed pocket monsters on his property against his will.
Court documents claim these horrible pocket monsters have “caused Pokemon Go players to interfere with [his] use and enjoyment of his property.” The court documents further allege that during the first week that the game was available, strangers began congregating outside of his home, and at least five (5!) people knocked on his door, asking if he would allow them to enter his back yard to catch those elusive Pokémon. The Pokémon were placed in his back yard without his permission, and a lawsuit was born. The suit is currently seeking class-action status, though it is unknown how many might choose to become part of the class.
One person that was actually named in the lawsuit as someone potentially interested in damages really couldn’t care less about Pokémon GO, the players, or much of anything else. Boon Sheridan, a resident of Massachusetts, was named as a possible complainant in the lawsuit. He lives in an old church where a Pokémon Gym had sprouted. Boon simply contacted Niantic, asked that the gym be removed, and within 48 hours it was gone. He was a bit confused by the lawsuit, stating:
It was barely a nuisance; it’s been a net positive, and we’ve managed to meet a bunch of our neighbors. I’m more shocked by being named in someone’s lawsuit, because I had no problem with it.
Nintendo and the Pokémon Company were named in the lawsuit, even though they have very little to do with the actual game because, well, of course they were… why sue one company when you can potentially sue three?
ABC News reached out to Niantic for comment, and as anybody who is familiar with Niantic will have already guessed, they have not received a response.
What do you think about the lawsuit Niantic is facing? Is it warranted? Or is this another example of someone being just a little bit too quick to sue? Tell us what you think in the comment section below, or on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.
[button link=”http://abcnews.go.com/US/pokemon-creators-face-lawsuit-players-trespassing/story?id=41066863″ icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: ABC News[/button]
Comments are closed.