Pokémon GO developer Niantic will pay $4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit which was first raised against the company when the game first launched back in 2016.
As you may remember, the early days of Pokémon GO's app store reign were slightly dampened with reports of dangerous play and trespassing, causing some to lodge official complaints against the developer. In this particular case, legal proceedings were initiated by 12 US plaintiffs who had been affected by the game, including one person who reported that a number of players had knocked on their door asking to catch Pokémon in their back garden.
The majority of Niantic's payout will reportedly go towards legal fees, leaving the 12 plaintiffs with just $1,000 each for their troubles; the official settlement notes that no further litigation will take place, mentioning that the case "presented novel issues of law regarding virtual trespass that have been untested in the courts".
Niantic will, however, implement a new online reporting system in an attempt to prevent trespassing in the future. The company says that 95% of complaints issued through the website will be handled within 15 days, and has also committed to removing all Pokéstops close to single-family homes with a promise that no more will be added to such locations going forward.
[source theregister.co.uk, via gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 33
No stops near homes? Ugh. This is why we can't have nice things.
Doesn't Pokemon Go make like 4 million in an afternoon?
$1000 to each of the 12 claimnants of a 4 million lawsuit- that’s just crazy and proves the law just makes the rich richer
Player behaviour has changed since then, with a majority learning not to do this sort of thing.
But I'm indeed concerned that this could result in the removal of Poké Stops or gyms just because of their proximity to places of residence, which would actually be to the major detriment of rule-abiding players in residential areas.
Erm so $ 12,000 goes to the claiments, so the other $ 3,988,000.00 goes to legal fees???? WHAT???
Where was this, America?
Yes... somebody knocking on your door sounds like a terrible moment for which somebody has to be blamed..... social interaction, oh, the horror...
I recall people talking about their right to pokemon. how home ownership is just 'self gratification' and how there really are public access paths a mail carrier can use that is open to the public.
This shows what class action lawsuits are really about. It definitely ain’t about you and your joy-cons, that’s for sure.
That won't stop me from going near single-family homes
Wow, the lawyers must have made bank. Too bad the original 12 only got $1000. Interesting article!
@Friendly
Have you seen the typical Pokemon Go players??
I wouldn't want one of those dorks within 500m of my home.
Proof to never get lawyers unless they literally work for your company.
What kind of legal fees cost approximately 4mil? This doesn’t make sense at all!
@Snow-Dust The class action had been going for 3 years, so I guess it added up
Oh look a class action lawsuit that made the lawyers money and not the clients.
I’m shocked! /sarcasm
And as usual, the only people who actually win are the lawyers.
It is on the individuals to have self control to not go in someones yard, like are people that dumb?
I don't see how this was Niantic's fault. If I buy a new car and ram someone with it, is it the car manufacturer's fault that I misused their product? If I beat you to death with a toast, is it the toaster company's fault for making such an effective blunt instrument?
People ignored the rules of the game and trespassed, it should be them in trouble.
$12,000 of $4,000,000 is just 0.003%. So each of the plaintiffs, at $1000 each, means that each only got 0.00025% of the settlement. That's just ridiculous.
@Stocksy As much as I want to agree, people are still physically trespassing and choosing to do so.
"...has also committed to removing all Pokéstops close to single-family homes with a promise that no more will be added to such locations going forward."
1. This still doesn't address churches, graveyards, etc., and,
2. Court should have forced them to REMOVE disputed stops because that's how private property works.
This is bogus, only people who should be in trouble are the ones who tress passed or menaced. Why can we hold gun companies liable for gun deaths.
@Friendly To be fair, would you want people asking to walk through your house and into your back garden just to catch Pokemon?
Back on point, the law getting $3,800,000 roughly of the settlement is just wrong. That's the real issue here.
welp wow uhh just wow..
@Heavyarms55 Agreed that people shouldn't be jerks but I suppose the argument is that Niantic built a roadway (keeping with your car analogy) in people's backyard without consent or control over it. Ether way moral of the story is people are rude and stupid and honestly in America land of guns I'm shocked nobody got shot. You know not everybody knocked and asked to catch the pokemon.
@Lawnachaun Multiply by 100 to your percentages.
I'm sad that Niantec didn't fight harder against this stupid legal theory. I know it's a rational business decision, because if the plaintiffs' attorneys spent close to $4M in billing, I'm sure the defense costs were in the 7-figures as well. But caving will just encourage more of this crap, which does nobody but the lawyers any real good.
I don't see why they should hafta pay anything. Its not there fault people willingly trespass.
@Heavyarms55
I would like to see someone attempt to beat up someone else with a toaster.
THAT'S why I haven't been able to delete my old account! They said it had to do with something legal!
@Stocksy,
That's why the system exists,only the lawyers get rich from such things.
@Tempestryke Wouldn't be terribly hard to do. About the same thing as beating someone up with a rock.
@Heavyarms55 I guess, but our toaster is pretty lightweight, so it's not gonna do anything other then sting and tick off the other person.
@Tempestryke Really? Never seen a toaster lightweight enough that it wouldn't hurt someone if you beat them over the head with it.
@Friendly I would just start charging cover, and find out how badly people want to catch em all, but I'm also a monster.
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