Another DMCA takedown notice was sent to a on another day Grand Theft Auto modders. This time it’s virtual reality modder Luke Ross who says Take-Two has issued him a DMCA claim on his VR mods, despite arguing that his work does not contain any copyrighted code or material. It’s just the latest in a long line of modders being legally targeted by Take-Two for various things GTA modifications.
earlier today, Ross shared on his Patreon page and Twitter that he had just received a notification Patreon to inform him that Take-Two has filed a copyright claim against his site and its content. Ross creates virtual reality conversion mods 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. rock star created GTA and 2K released mafia. Ross says he’s been making VR conversion mods since 2017, and this is the first time a company has sent him a legal notice of any kind.
According to the statement Ross shared kotaku, he is being asked to remove all copyrighted content from his site, but has still not been told what specific content is causing him these legal issues. In the Patreon message, Ross is told that even if he fights the DMCA takedown 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 Ross getting his Patreon page and account suspended.
kotaku has reached out to Patreon, Rockstar Games, and Take-Two regarding the situation.
“I never misrepresent the games as my creations, do not reuse any of the original software, assets or intellectual property in general, and my mods always require the original games to function,” said Ross kotaku. “So it’s just additional sales for the developer/publisher and the opportunity for players to enjoy a type of experience that they couldn’t otherwise have on a flat screen.”
Frustrated and confused that Take-Two is after him, Ross explains that he receives countless messages from fans of his mods saying that his VR conversions have convinced them to buy other Take-Two games, so they can play them in virtual reality too.
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What makes matters even more frustrating is that Take-Two Ross has not yet responded or explained what content needs to be removed. Ross “wishes” he could figure out exactly what Take-Two wants removed, because if he doesn’t figure it out, it’s likely he’ll be forced to remove all of his mafia, and red dead VR mods from his Patreon page. He must also remove all tutorials and other information related to his mods and Take-Two’s games.
“Luckily I have other mods for other games,” Ross said, “so my backers aren’t let down, but it would be such a shame as there are new ones coming out every day RDR2 Fans come to my Patreon to experience the game from the inside.
Sadly for modders and mod fans, this isn’t the first time Take-Two has sent out attorneys and legal warnings to fans. Since over a year, Take-Two was on a legal killing spreeSending DMCA notices to many different GTA Modders and fan projects.
The situation has a chilling effect on the community, with at least one major mod closed by the creators for fear of getting into legal hot water with Take-Two Interactive. While some have tried Fight Take Two and his lawyers Many of these modders are small, independent developers or fans who don’t have the legal knowledge or resources to fight against a giant company like Take-Two, leading some modders to swear off the company’s games.
Meanwhile, companies like Bethesda is hiring moddersCreate tools for their community or provide them with opportunities to do so share their creations with console gamers. There’s a better way to deal with a dedicated player base creating new content for your games, Take-Two.
Update 6/7/2022 7:14pm ET: Patreon confirmed this kotaku that it had received a DMCA takedown from Take-Two addressed to LukeRoss and was currently in the process of “processing this request.”
“Patreon has provided relevant information to the creator,” said a Patreon representative kotaku. “We have requested additional clarifying information from the applicant, which we will forward, and we have offered to connect the parties directly. We will continue to try to facilitate this conversation.”