Pokemon Go Might Have To Remove Poke Stops And Gyms From The Game Soon
Hey, Pokemon Go fans. We have what could be some possibly bad news for any of you guys that value Poke Stops and Gyms within the game. According to a new report from the folks over at Variety.com, the developer for Pokemon Go ,Niantic, is currently facing a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed this past Thursday, February 14, 2019 somewhere in California.
The proposed settlement will apply to anyone in the United States that owns or leases property within 100 meters of a designated Poké Stop or Gym. If it’s approved, Niantic will be forced take measures to prevent placing Poké Stops or virtual game items on private property in the future.
Specifically, Niantic will have to feature a form on their website that allows people to ask for the removal of Poké Stops or Gyms if they are within 40 meters of their residential properties. Also, for a three year period of time, Niantic will have to use “commercially reasonable efforts” to resolve these complaints and communicate a resolution within 15 days for 95% of these cases each year.
Niantic will also have to maintain a database for these requests and keep them for a minimum of one year. They will have to make an effort to avoid placing new Poké Stops or Gyms on single-family residential properties in the future.
Additionally, this lawsuit settlement could effect Pokemon Go Raids. If a Raid involves more than 10 participants, Niantic will have to send a warning message to players’ screens that reminds them to be courteous to others and respectful of real world surroundings.
The Pokemon Go game play in public parks could also be effected by this lawsuit. It’s reported that county or city governments can request Niantic to use their hours of operation on Poké Stops and Gyms located within the parks. Niantic would also have to add a new warning to the game’s launch screen that states, “Be courteous to members of real-world communities as you play ‘Pokémon Go'” or something of that nature.
Variety pointed out that this lawsuit came about by a person named Jeffrey Marder. He filed the lawsuit back in 2016. In his lawsuit, he claimed that Poke Mon Go was encouraging players to trespass on other people’s properties while in pursuit of Pokémon and Poké Stops.
Jeffrey’s lawsuit went on to state, “During the week of ‘Pokémon Go’s’ release, strangers began lingering outside of his home with their phones in hand. At least five individuals knocked on the 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.”
This is a class action lawsuit that is seeking up to $1,000 dollars for each person involved for their service to the class and in assisting to bring about the substantial benefits of the settlement. Their attorneys are also seeking fees and reimbursement for expenses related to this case.
How do you guys feel about Pokemon Go possibly having to remove certain Poke Stops and Gyms from the game? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Or do you just not care one way or the other? Let us know in the Facebook comments.
Alright guys. That’s all we’ve got for this latest Pokemon Go report, but definitely stay tuned for more. Be sure to follow us on our Pokemon Go Facebook page for more Pokemon Go Video Game news, tips and more by Clicking Here. Get your favorite video game stuff by Clicking Here.
