Nintendo stated that its mission with Pokemon GO was to “put smiles on people’s faces”. However, Jayme and Scott Dodich are not smiling. This couple from St. Clair Shores says Pokemon GO is causing their lives to become miserable, and because of it they are going to sue Nintendo in federal court.
It would appear that it’s not the game directly affecting them, it is everyone playing it. They complained for weeks that Pokemon GO players would trample their yard, even look through their windows and cuss them out.
The couple has had enough apparently, stating that the company has earned millions, in the meantime the quality of their life, and their yard has been destroyed. Their claim? That Poketops and gyms that are GPS coordinated for Pokemon trainers, are being located near or on private property without the owner’s consent.
The couple live across the street from Wahby Park, a hot place for Pokemon trainers to hunt with a gym and 7+ Pokestops. Hundreds of people daily show up here. The Dodchies state in their lawsuit it has become a ‘virtual playground turned real life nightmare’.
The lawsuit also states ‘Nobody gets sleep anymore”, and “How is this acceptable? They hang out on our lawns, trample landscaping, look inside vehicles, we simply don’t feel safe in our yards anymore.”
They are attempting to sue three defendants. Nintendo, owning 32% of Pokemon GO, Niantic, the developer and publisher of Pokemon GO, and Pokemon Co., with headquarters in Tokyo.
They are trying to put a stop to the GPS coordinates being placed on or near private properties without the permission of owners, while seeking them to pay part of the profits with residents that have had their yards destroyed as it “contributed to its wild success”.
The lawsuit also states that Niantic has acknowledged Pokestops being placed on private property, with a message to trainers that reads “If you can’t get to the Pokestop due to being on private property, there will be more just around the corner, so don’t worry!”.
However, the Dodchies is not the only lawsuit these companies have dealt with since the release of Pokemon GO. There have been various others from cemetery owners in Mobile, Alabama, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.
What do you think of the location of Pokestops and gyms? Are they wrong, should they be removed, or should people have the common sense and respect of others to get permission to use them first? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
