Couple Sues Pokemon Go, Says Neighborhood Now 'Nightmare'

A Michigan couple is suing Pokemon Go, saying the popular game has turned their neighborhood into a "nightmare," drawing hundreds of players to hunt for virtual creatures on or near private property.

"Nobody gets sleep anymore," says the class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Scott and Jayme Dodich of St. Clair Shores, according to the Detroit Free Press. "How is this acceptable? ... They hang out on our lawns, trample landscaping, look in vehicles ... We don't feel safe ... I don't feel safe sitting on our porch."

The Dodich's live across the street from Wahby Park, which has at least seven so-called Pokestops and a gym. The couple has complained about Pokemon players "trampling their landscaping, peering into their windows and even cussing at them," the Free Press said.

The lawsuit, which also names game owner Nintendo and developer Niantic,
seeks to prohibit the game from designating stops and "gyms" on or near private properties without an owner's permission. It also asks the companies to share the profits of the game with property owners affected.

The couple tried to get the Pokestops removed using request forms on the company’s website, but was unsuccessful, WDIV-TV reported.

The placement of Pokestops on or near private property constitutes a "continuing invasion of use and enjoyment" and the companies are liable for nuisance, the lawsuit claims.

According to the lawsuit, the game was released on July 6, and by July 23 it had been downloaded more than 30 million times and generated more than $35 million in revenue.

The Dodiches aren't the first to file complaints.

Jeffrey Marder, of West Orange, New Jersey, filed a similar lawsuit in late July, claiming the companies "have shown a flagrant disregard for the foreseeable consequences of populating the real world with virtual Pokemon without seeking the permission of property owners," CBS New York reported.

Canadian Barbra-Lyn Schaeffer also complained of invasion of privacy in a lawsuit against the game's creator, The Globe and Mail reported.

• Kohei Uchimura's Pokemon Go Phone Bill Is Olympic Size
  
• 'Pokemon Go' Death: 20-Year-Old Shot at San Francisco Tourist Site
  
• Nintendo Shares Plummet, Says Pokemon Go Worthless to It