--- description: Pokémon Go players have swarmed beaches in the Netherlands, prompting authorities to reach out to the game's creators title: Dutch Authorities Take 'Pokémon Go' Creators to Court image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5d68d6c13b1f669d/6988a816e20a87cfcea92984/pokemon-go-court-hague-netherlands.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Dutch Authorities Take _Pokémon Go_ Creators to Court Over Protected Beaches  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 29, 2016 5:20 PM CUT  Pokemon Go players look at their cell phones as they gather at the beach in Kijkduin, which has been named as the Pokemon capital of the Netherlands, on August 10, 2016. Pokemon Go players look at their cell phones as they gather at the beach in Kijkduin, which has been named as the Pokemon capital of the Netherlands, on August 10, 2016.REMKO DE WAAL—AFP/Getty Images  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 29, 2016 5:20 PM CUT Thousands of [_Pokémon Go_](http://time.com/4400791/pokemon-go-iphone-android-nintendo/ "undefined")players have swarmed beaches on a small coastal town in the Netherlands, prompting authorities to reach out to the game’s creators out of concern for the protected areas. Niantic Labs officials never responded, though, so the Hague is [taking them to court](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/29/niantic-labs-dutch-pokemon-go "undefined"). As wind and waves batter the beaches, the Hague is worried the unprecedented swarms of visitors to the Pokestops in Kijkduin are damaging the sand dunes. Niantic Labs will respond to those concerns at a court date, set for Oct. 11, the _Guardian_ reports. “We had no other choice” the authorities said in a statement. The municipality added that the specific aim of taking Niantic to court is “to ban these small virtual animals” in protected areas, as well as from the [streets](http://time.com/4465882/pokemon-go-driver-kills-pedestrian/ "undefined") between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. “Kijkduin will remain an attractive place for [Pokémon hunters](http://time.com/4482495/pokemon-go-apple-watch/ "undefined"), but there will be less trouble for the residents and the damage to protected areas will be limited,” said the Hague in the statement. \[[_The Guardian_](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/29/niantic-labs-dutch-pokemon-go "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4513371/pokemon-go-netherlands-court-beaches/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4513371/pokemon-go-netherlands-court-beaches/"},"headline":"Dutch Authorities Take Pokémon Go Creators to Court Over Protected Beaches","datePublished":"2016-09-29T17:20:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:50:33.981Z","description":"Next Pokestop: a court in the Hague","url":"https://time.com/4513371/pokemon-go-netherlands-court-beaches/","keywords":["Tech","Video Games","Technology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5d68d6c13b1f669d/6988a816e20a87cfcea92984/pokemon-go-court-hague-netherlands.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5d68d6c13b1f669d/6988a816e20a87cfcea92984/pokemon-go-court-hague-netherlands.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"pokemon go court hague netherlands","caption":"pokemon go court hague netherlands","creditText":"REMKO DE WAAL—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4513371/pokemon-go-netherlands-court-beaches/","name":"Dutch Authorities Take Pokémon Go Creators to Court Over Protected Beaches"}}]}] ```