Current Events > Take-Two sues GTA modders working on opensource engine

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.pcgamer.com/grand-theft-auto-modders-that-tried-to-get-around-a-dmca-claim-get-walloped-with-take-two-lawsuit/

Like other open source engine projects, it would have required you to own the associated game to import that games content into the new engine.

The problem seems to lie with the type of open source development they were doing. If I understand correctly, they utilized some original source code in building the new engine, instead of whats called "clean room open source" where absolutely everything is reverse engineered from scratch.

What's silly, is that in places like Europe or most of the rest of the world, how they did it would still be perfectly legal. It's only in the US it isn't.

We all know this is about money and that modders would show up a AAA game studio, cutting them off from being able to stretch out good ideas forever to keep stretching out our dollars. That's why they can't have projects like this. It exposes that they could do so much more than what they're doing.

New community made engines for games are a part of PC gaming, from Doom, Elder Scrolls, various cRPGs, other shooters. Communities make new engines for these games all the time, and the devs are just fine with it, because it promotes good will in the community.

This is a corporate decision.

Bump to support modders.

Never buying a Rockstar game again, I hate supporting devs who cripple communities.

Valve doesn't care what their modders do (they reached out to the team making the free Half-Life 1 remake, and told them they could sell it on steam), Bethesda doesn't care what their modders do. Hell, Microsoft in general seems to care less and less as time goes on.

But Rockstar/Take-two, man they just can't leave it alone.

I had never reviewed the GTAV on my steam, even though it has 600 hours on it. Just dropped a negative review on their steam.

Boycotting future products and review bombing the old ones are the only tools we have to combat this.

Suing modders is exceptionally shitty

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I mean, they knew what they were doing and had an opportunity to not get sued. That said I don't see any harm with modders. I just want the remasters to come sooner than later.

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modena posted...

I mean, they knew what they were doing and had an opportunity to not get sued. That said I don't see any harm with modders. I just want the remasters to come sooner than later.

They followed the procedure on github. It was Taketwo that stopped responding, and instead jumped straight to suit.

The real reason is:
JimmyFraska posted...

We all know this is about money and that modders would show up a AAA game studio, cutting them off from being able to stretch out good ideas forever to keep stretching out our dollars. That's why they can't have projects like this. It exposes that they could do so much more than what they're doing.

So therefore I implore you to NOT buy their remasters. They are being the shittiest publisher ever right now. And there is not a problem with the modders, cause their project would not function unless you already own the game to take the assets from.

They are suing because a project like this would expose them.

The only bias I'll admit is that I am very invested in modding communities in general, and especially new engine projects like these, which in almost every other case have not been attacked by the publishers of the various games that have projects like this.

Meh this sounds like a bit more than just modding

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eston posted...

Meh this sounds like a bit more than just modding

Well, it's creating a new engine to fix bugs and enable the creation of more mods. So, in that way yeah it is. But its not anything out of the ordinary in terms of stuff fans do for games they love on PC.

eston posted...

Meh this sounds like a bit more than just modding

Yes, but if anything, it's less of a copyright violation.

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why does everyone want everything for free? first everyone yells at nintendo for taking down pirates, and now this?

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PatrickMahomes posted...

why does everyone want everything for free? first everyone yells at nintendo for taking down pirates, and now this?

Who's getting anything for free in this story?

Did those dumbasses seriously think they could outsmart Rockstar? Company could hire a dozen million-dollar hotshot lawyers easily by dipping into 2 months of their GTA Online money to fuck shit up.

Not saying it's right but the modders should've stopped at the initial C&D like most people have done with their works.

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Jagr_68 posted...

Did those dumbasses seriously think they could outsmart Rockstar? Company could hire a dozen million-dollar hotshot lawyers easily by dipping into 2 months of their GTA Online money to fuck shit up.

If they're not based in the US (I don't know if they are or not), then the "just sue them into oblivion" tactic doesn't work nearly as well - if you can't actually win the case, which it sounds like they wouldn't outside the US, you end up paying the other side's fees in most jurisdictions.

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Jagr_68 posted...

Did those dumbasses seriously think they could outsmart Rockstar? Company could hire a dozen million-dollar hotshot lawyers easily by dipping into 2 months of their GTA Online money to fuck shit up.

Not saying it's right but the modders should've stopped at the initial C&D like most people have done with their works.

They disputed Rockstar's claim which github allows, because they felt the initial takedown had an untrue claim that they were spreading proprietary material, they argued they were not doing so, so the github admins restored it, because Taketwo did not respond again. If taketwo had responded again, it would not have been reinstated.

And as I emphasize, this is the kind of things other publishers don't even care about (except taketwo and ninten). You can see that it's shitty, you acknowledge that its shitty. So I say, don't play lawyer for them, lets support the modders making content for the community and not the corporate lawters.

Trumble posted...

If they're not based in the US (I don't know if they are or not), then the "just sue them into oblivion" tactic doesn't work nearly as well - if you can't actually win the case, which it sounds like they wouldn't outside the US, you end up paying the other side's fees in most jurisdictions.

This this this. Anywhere but the US, Taketwo would not even have a chance. Shitty copyright law being taken advantage of by giant entities for purposes it was not written for.

Sadly, I believe these devs ARE US based.

I read that as "Take-Two sues toddlers"
>_>

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What other publishers choose to do or not do doesn't seem all that relevant tbqh

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eston posted...

What other publishers choose to do or not do doesn't seem all that relevant tbqh

It doesn't have to be relevant to anything except our opinion (as consumers) of Taketwo and it fueling a decision to not support them any longer.