According to Illinois Policy Online a state Rep in Chicago has filed a bill, House Bill 6601, to restrict “Pokemon Go” gamers access to certain areas to play at. The bill is a Location-based Video Game Protection Act that would require not only Niantic Inc. who developed “Pokemon Go”, but other location-based video games or augmented-reality in development to remove areas from the game if requested by owners of property. If properties are already developed in the games, they also will make the require an easy access to remotely turn off location access to play. The “Pidgey’s Law”, otherwise named after catchable Pokemon in game, would not only reach beyond private property, but areas deemed “ecologically sensitive”, or “historically significant”, like the Lincoln site would be eligible for removal from games upon request. If developers do not comply with the two day proposal of removal from site, they could be looking at a $100 civil fine each day. The motivation behind this bill is from concern in areas already burdened with players that are causing disruption on a daily basis. This bill however, would not only put more restrictions on the game and be less interesting, but such restriction requests would be costly to keep removing locations and deter other augmented-reality game developers to make new games. Fledgling game companies could suffer more from the fines as they would be fine-tuning the requisites for their new games locations. Other states have proposed such bills like these, but Illinois may become the first state to impose these serious regulations if the “Pidgey Law” is passed.
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