Niantic has launched a lawsuit towards what it describes as an “affiliation of hackers,” accusing it of making “unauthorised spinoff variations” of its video games Ingress, Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
The lawsuit was initiated towards two people whom Niantic describes as hackers: Ryan “ElliotRobot” Hunt and Alen “iOS n00b” Hundur, in addition to the group calling itself International ++. It mentions three apps: “Potter++ (or Unite++), PokeGo++, and Ingress++ (the “Dishonest Packages”)”.
The lawsuit alleges that: “The Dishonest Packages permit defendants’ clients to entry Niantic’s servers and carry out unauthorized actions in Niantic’s video games, together with “spoofing” (faking) their places, acquiring data that isn’t obtainable to gamers utilizing Niantic’s reliable apps, and automating key options of recreation play. The Dishonest Packages thereby degrade the gaming expertise for sincere gamers, undermine Niantic’s repute and goodwill, and intervene with Niantic’s enterprise. It additionally seems that defendants use the Dishonest Packages to steal precious and proprietary game-related data and convert it for their very own business functions.”
An obvious set off for the lawsuit is the upcoming launch of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. The lawsuit reads: “Niantic recordsdata this movement on the eve of the USA launch of Harry Potter, the fruits of a multi-year, multi-million greenback funding by Niantic, the success of which is threatened by defendants’ illegal conduct.” The lawsuit alleges that Potter++ is a “Cracked model” of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Since Niantic launched its lawsuit, International++ has taken down its web site. PokemonGoHub posted a screenshot of a message from International++ to its customers, which stated: “It’s with nice disappointment that we are going to be shutting down indefinitely in compliance with our authorized obligations.”
For additional Niantic information, go to the corporate’s web site.