Another day, another DMCA withdrawal notice sent to a Grand Theft Auto modder. This time, it’s virtual reality modder Luke Ross who says Take-Two has issued him a DMCA complaint about his VR mods, though he argues that his work contains no code or copyrighted material. It’s just the latest in a long line of modders that have been legally attacked by Take-Two by different GTA mods.
Today, Ross shared on his Patreon page and Twitter that he had just received a notice from Patreon informing him that Take-Two had filed a copyright claim against his page and its content. Ross creates virtual reality conversion modifications for popular games such as Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption II, and Mafia II: Definitive Edition. All of these games are published by companies owned by Take-Two Interactive. Rockstar creates GTA and 2K publishes Mafia. Ross says he has been making virtual reality conversion modifications since 2017 and that this is the first time a company has sent him a legal notice of any kind.
According to the notice, which Ross shared with Kotaku, he is being asked to remove all copyrighted content from his page, but he has not yet been told what specific content is causing him this legal issue. In Patreon’s message, Ross is told that even if he fights the DMCA withdrawal notice, which he is allowed to do, he will still be forced to remove all copyrighted content from his page. Failure to do so could result in the suspension of your Patreon page and account.
Kotaku has contacted Patreon, Rockstar Games and Take-Two about the situation.
“I never fake games like my creations, I don’t reuse any original software, assets or IPs in general, and my mods always need the original games to work,” Ross told Kotaku. “So it’s just additional sales for the developer / publisher and the chance for gamers to enjoy a kind of experience they might not otherwise have on a flat screen.”
Ross is frustrated and confused for Take-Two to come after him, explaining that he receives countless messages from fans of his mods saying that his virtual reality conversions have convinced them to buy other Take-Two games so they can play them. in virtual reality. too.
To make things more frustrating, Take-Two has yet to respond to Ross or explain what content should be removed. Ross “wants” to be able to find out specifically what he wants Take-Two to withdraw, because if he doesn’t find out, he’s likely to be forced to remove all of his Mafia, GTA, and Red Dead VR mods from his Patreon page. . You will also need to remove all tutorials and other information related to your modifications and Take-Two games.
“Luckily I have other modifications for other games,” Ross said, “So my fans won’t get stuck, but it would be a shame, because every day, new RDR2 fans come to my Patreon to experience the game” from from within “.”
Unfortunately for modders and fans of modifications, this isn’t the first time Take-Two has sent lawyers and legal warnings to fans. For over a year now, Take-Two has been in a legal uproar, sending DMCA notices to many modders and different GTA fan projects.
The situation has had a terrifying effect on the community, with at least one major mod shut down by the creators for fear of encountering legal hot water with Take-Two Interactive. While some have tried to fight Take-Two and its lawyers, many of these modders are small, independent developers or amateurs who do not have the legal knowledge or resources to fight a massive corporation like Take-Two, which which leads some modders to swear. out of company games.
Meanwhile, companies like Bethesda are hiring modders, creating tools for their community, or offering them ways to share their creations with console gamers. There is a better way to manage a dedicated player base that creates new content for your games, Take-Two.