Image copyright AFP Image caption You won't want these - real or virtual - near your front lawn

A lawsuit has been filed against the makers of Pokemon Go over players trespassing on private property.

A man in the US said strangers started lingering outside of his home with at least five people knocking on his door.

The first suit against game makers Niantic, Nintendo, and The Pokemon Company seeks class action status for others who have had Pokemon stops and gyms placed on their property.

Released on 6 July, the smartphone game has become a global phenomenon.

The lawsuit accuses the defendants of having "shown a flagrant disregard for the foreseeable consequences of populating the real world with virtual Pokemon without seeking the permission of property owners."

Image copyright AFP Image caption A Pokemon player searches the square in front of the White House

Pokemon Go is an augmented reality game on smartphones which has millions of people worldwide obsessively capturing small creatures in public spaces.

Sensitivity and safety concerns

It works by showing you a picture of your real surroundings as caught by the phone's camera, then superimposes virtual characters with players catching monsters in physical places designated "Pokestops" and training them in "gyms".

Unlike most smartphone games, it requires players to walk around in their hunt, leading to official requests around the world for people to be kept away from locations for safety or sensitivity reasons.

A number of locations, such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan have asked to be removed from Pokemon Go.

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum has asked people not to play Pokemon Go on their phones during their visit.

The former concentration camp of Auschwitz, where millions of people were murdered by the Nazis, has also banned the game