Trespass

Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels, and trespass to land.

Trespass to the person historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem (or maiming), and false imprisonment.^[1] Through the evolution of the common law in various jurisdictions, and the codification of common law torts, most jurisdictions now broadly recognize three trespasses to the person: assault, which is "any act of such a nature as to excite an apprehension of battery";^[2] battery, "any intentional and unpermitted contact with the plaintiff's person or anything attached to it and practically identified with it";^[2] and false imprisonment, the "unlawful obstruction or deprivation of freedom from restraint of movement".^[3]

Trespass to chattel does not require a showing of damages. Simply the "intermeddling with or use of … the personal property" of another gives cause of action for trespass.^[4]^[5] Since CompuServe Inc. v. Cyber Promotions, Inc.,^[6] various courts have applied the principles of trespass to chattel to resolve cases involving unsolicited bulk e-mail and unauthorized server usage.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

Trespass to land is today the tort most commonly associated with the term trespass; it takes the form of "wrongful interference with one's possessory rights in [real] property".^[11]^[12] Generally, it is not necessary to prove harm to a possessor's legally protected interest; liability for unintentional trespass varies by jurisdiction. "At common law, every unauthorized entry upon the soil of another was a trespasser"; however, under the tort scheme established by the Restatement of Torts, liability for unintentional intrusions arises only under circumstances evincing negligence or where the intrusion involved a highly dangerous activity.^[13]

Trespass has also been treated as a common law offense in some countries.

^ Underhill and Pease, p. 250
^ ^a ^b Johnson v. Glick, 481 F.2d 1028, 1033 (2nd Cir. 1973)
^ Broughton v. New York, 37 N.Y.2d 451, 456–7
^ Thrifty-Tel, at 1567
^ Restatement (Second) of Torts § 217(b)
^ 962 F. Supp. 1015 (S.D.Ohio 1997)
^ America Online, Inc., v. LCGM, Inc., 46 F. Supp.2d 444 (E.D.Vir. 1998)
^ America Online, Inc. v. IMS, 24 F. Supp.2d 548 (E.D.Vir. 1998)
^ eBay, Inc., v. Bidder's Edge, Inc., 100 F. Supp.2d 1058 (N.D.Cal. 2000)
^ Register.com, Inc., v. Verio, Inc., 126 F. Supp.2d 238 (S.D.N.Y. 2000)
^ Robert's River Rides v. Steamboat Dev., 520 N.W.2d 294, 301 (Iowa 1994)
^ Sacharoff, Laurent (Jan 2016). "Trespass and Deception". Brigham Young University Law Review. 2015: 359–412.
^ Loe et ux. v. Lenhard et al., 362 P.2d 312 (Or. 1961)

[1] Underhill and Pease, p. 250

[JohnsonGlick1033-2] Johnson v. Glick, 481 F.2d 1028, 1033 (2nd Cir. 1973)

[BroughtonNY-3] Broughton v. New York, 37 N.Y.2d 451, 456–7

[4] Thrifty-Tel, at 1567

[5] Restatement (Second) of Torts § 217(b)

[Compu1015-6] 962 F. Supp. 1015 (S.D.Ohio 1997)

[7] America Online, Inc., v. LCGM, Inc., 46 F. Supp.2d 444 (E.D.Vir. 1998)

[AOLIMS-8] America Online, Inc. v. IMS, 24 F. Supp.2d 548 (E.D.Vir. 1998)

[9] eBay, Inc., v. Bidder's Edge, Inc., 100 F. Supp.2d 1058 (N.D.Cal. 2000)

[10] Register.com, Inc., v. Verio, Inc., 126 F. Supp.2d 238 (S.D.N.Y. 2000)

[Roberts301-11] Robert's River Rides v. Steamboat Dev., 520 N.W.2d 294, 301 (Iowa 1994)

[12] Sacharoff, Laurent (Jan 2016). "Trespass and Deception". Brigham Young University Law Review. 2015: 359–412.

[LoeLenhard-13] Loe et ux. v. Lenhard et al., 362 P.2d 312 (Or. 1961)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]