All articles tagged with #dmca
Take-Two has asked a U.S. court to subpoena Google and X Corp to identify Cyberleek, the GTA VI leaker, via DMCA takedown notices; the move follows earlier subpoenas against Microsoft and Discord as the publisher continues to scrub leaked footage and potentially pursue charges if the leaker is found.
A hacker known as LEEK released multiple GTA VI clips, triggering a $2 billion swing in Take-Two’s market value as leaks spread ahead of the November release. Authenticity remains debated, with several posts taken down by DMCA and the leaker claiming the move is a protest against the lack of physical editions. Take-Two has pursued subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord, while Rockstar is set to unveil more footage in a Netflix special on Aug. 28, keeping fans wary of spoilers before launch.
Nintendo filed seven DMCA anti-circumvention notices with GitHub in a single day, wiping out more than 400 Switch emulator repositories—including suyu, Yuzu forks, and Skyline—by arguing the emulators decrypt game ROMs without authorization. GitHub removed many repos, though forks often resurface, underscoring the ongoing tension around Switch emulation and enforcement.
Take-Two Interactive has filed federal subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord under the DMCA to identify alleged GTA 6 leakers, seeking data tied to copyrighted audiovisual content posted on Microsoft’s GitHub and a Discord server; Microsoft didn’t comment and Discord said it reviews valid subpoenas in line with policy.
A wave of purported GTA 6 gameplay clips and a leaked map has triggered DMCA takedowns by Rockstar and sparked a debate over whether the material is genuine, with observers leaning toward authenticity and heightened anticipation ahead of Netflix’s Extended Look.
A federal judge largely denied a motion to dismiss Reddit’s DMCA-based lawsuit accusing SerpApi and Perplexity AI of conspiring to illegally scrape Reddit content from Google search results, finding the claims plausible at this early stage. Reddit says its licensing with Google prohibits such access and that circumvention by the defendants undermines content removals and harms its users and brand. The ruling keeps the case alive and could push AI scrapers to obtain licenses, with discovery potentially clarifying whether Reddit authorized Google to protect content and whether all public search results are protected by copyright.
A federal judge allowed Reddit’s DMCA anti-circumvention claims against Perplexity AI and SerpApi to proceed, signaling potential liability for bypassing safeguards to train AI and surface real-time results. Reddit also reported solid Q2 2026 results (revenue $805 million, EPS $1.25) and 130.3 million daily active users, but its stock (RDDT) fell about 22% after hours on traffic/referral concerns, while the company outlined API-licensing plans to monetize data and forecast Q3 revenue of $860–$870 million.
Sony Music Entertainment filed a second copyright infringement lawsuit against Udio in SDNY, accusing it of copying 30,117 sound recordings to train its AI models. The recordings are a subset of matches identified during discovery and were not added to the original case after a June ruling allowing separate action. Udio has licensing deals with several major labels, but Sony remains unlicensed; the new suit seeks statutory damages up to $150,000 per work, plus DMCA-related penalties and an injunction, highlighting the ongoing clash over training data for AI music tools.
Apple asked the court to dismiss a class-action filed by three YouTube channels alleging Apple scraped millions of YouTube videos to train its AI, arguing that the videos are publicly accessible and that YouTube’s Terms allow access under the DMCA. The filing contends no violation occurred because no password or lock prevented access and that public availability means DMCA protections don’t apply. The channels also sued other tech companies in similar cases.
Wario64 was briefly suspended on Bluesky after posting a publicly accessible Rayman Origins Enhanced store page link and screenshot; Bluesky cited a DMCA takedown and a community guidelines violation, deleted the post and issued a warning, but the account was back online within about 30 minutes amid backlash, and Ubisoft reportedly did not ask for the takedown.
The Supreme Court ruled in Cox Communications v. Sony Music that ISPs cannot be held liable for users' copyright infringements merely for failing to terminate known infringers, preventing a private ‘kill switch’ on the internet and preserving access to telemedicine, work, school, and everyday online life. The piece argues this protects the open web and civil liberties, while acknowledging concerns about DMCA safe harbors and the ongoing policy battles that may push for more private enforcement.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that ISPs aren’t liable for user piracy simply for providing general connectivity; liability requires intent to facilitate infringement or a service tailored to it, aligning with Betamax and Grokster. The decision preserves DMCA safe harbors, avoids turning networks into piracy enforcers, and affects how ISPs handle infringement notices and repeat-offender policies.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Internet service providers cannot be held liable for their customers’ copyright infringement unless they induce infringement or tailor the service to enable it, reversing a Fourth Circuit decision against Cox Communications and limiting DMCA liability by treating providers as not being copyright police. The decision means ISPs aren’t required to terminate subscribers en masse for alleged infringement. Sony’s Betamax-era precedent is cited as context, and Justice Sotomayor wrote a concurring opinion warning the ruling narrows other forms of secondary liability while agreeing Cox isn’t liable.
The Video Game History Foundation exposed a long-running copyright-strike campaign by Brandon White/Graceware to erase Cookie’s Bustle, a rare 1990s Japanese PC game, confirmed there was no rightful ownership, and facilitated its restoration so it can be shown and enjoyed again.
Nintendo issued DMCA takedown notices to nearly a dozen Switch-emulation GitHub pages, but the Eden emulator team, led by Camille LaVey, is pushing back by releasing a new v0.2.0 build and signaling a counter-notice to preserve video-game preservation. Eden, a fork of Yuzu, joins a broader emulation community that believes the ecosystem can survive despite Nintendo’s crackdown, with some pages folding while others refuse to bow to legal pressure.