By Paul Blake | ABC News
A New Jersey man has filed a federal lawsuit against the makers of the popular Pokemon Go video game for placing the virtual creatures on his property without permission, which “caused Pokemon Go players to interfere with [his] use and enjoyment of his property,” according to court documents.
Jeffrey Marder of West Orange, New Jersey, filed the proposed class action lawsuit in Northern California’s U.S. District Court claiming the game’s developer, Niantic, “made unauthorized use” of his and other people’s properties by placing PokeStops and Pokemon Gyms — virtual meeting points key to playing the game — and thus encouraged “Pokemon Go’s millions of players to make unwanted incursions onto the properties” of him and others who may have been affected.
The game uses smartphones’ cameras and GPS capabilities to superimpose creatures known as Pokemon, as well as meeting points like PokeStops and Pokemon Gyms, over real-world imagery and maps. A player’s objective is to capture Pokemon by travelling around on foot.
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company were also named as defendants in the lawsuit because of their interest in the Pokemon brand.
