Forthite and GTA V hackers sued for online fraud

It is quite common for game developers to use various technical and community management methods to prevent cheats from spoiling the online experience of legitimate gamers. But some game makers are increasingly using the courts to try to prevent the proliferation of mods that provide an unfair advantage to players, as highlighted in two stories this week.

The first of these stories comes from Rockstar and Take-Two, who convinced an Australian court to freeze the assets of five people suspected of being behind Grand Theft Auto V cheat software known as "Infamous". The full court order, as reported by TorrentFreak, also authorizes the authorities to search the homes and computers of Christopher Anderson, Cycus Lesser, Sfinktah, Koroush Anderson and Koroush Jeddian. Authorities are seeking evidence of the creation or distribution of "any software that provides a reader of Grand Theft Auto V access to unauthorized features … "

The famous "mod menu" gives users almost total control over the world of Grand Theft Auto universe, online or offline, offering capabilities such as teleportation, theft and total environmental manipulation. Perhaps the most distressing for Rockstar and Take-Two, the mod also allows players to generate arbitrary amounts of virtual currency for themselves or for other players online, which could have a direct effect on the outcome final game based on microtransaction.

The Infamous mod's website was decommissioned in March, but it had sold "Premium" subscriptions for life in the cheat software for $ 40 in previous months.

Last year, Take-Two used legal threats to force three more GTA Offline hacking tools. The company also briefly forced the popular OpenIV single-player modification tool to close, but this service was reinstated after discussions and changes to protect the online part of the game.

Fortnite YouTubers sued

At the other end of the spectrum of lawsuits, Fortnite The developer Epic Games wants to prevent some popular YouTube personalities from sharing videos that are supposed to promote the sale of cheats.

According to a lawsuit filed by Epic in a court in North Carolina (reported again by TorrentFreak), YouTuber Brandon Lucas is the man of the Golden Modz chain, which has 1.7 million subscribers (with the help of Colton Conter, also known as in costume). This channel focuses on the entertaining moments created with Fortnite hacks that provide players with a perfect automatic goal, reveal hidden objects and enemies, and more.

The use of these mods constitutes a violation of copyright and a violation of the EULA's gambling, says Epic, echoing the lawsuits filed against Fortnite cheaters filed last year. But the new lawsuit goes further by stating that Lucas uses his videos on YouTube to "demonstrate and promote the hackers he sells, and to direct those who view them to the websites where he sells them."

"Each accused has created, published and broadcast videos on his respective YouTube channel, showing himself and / or others using hackers to deceive Fortnite in part to demonstrate, advertise and promote the cheats that Lucas sells on his websites, "writes Epic in the complaint. His ill-gotten gains come at the expense of Epic and members of the walled community. The accused are cheaters. Nobody likes a cheater. And no one likes to play with cheaters. "

Although Epic had already tried to ban Lucas and Conters from the game and filed complaints with DMCA against some of their videos, that did not stop the pair from continuing to leverage the publications on YouTube and social media. "My videos fall under the fair use policy of YouTube.All videos are my own creation and I am willing to defend them in court," said Conters in response to one of the complaints filed by DMCA, according to the lawsuit.

In a video released last month and titled "Fortnite's Golden Modz Continued", Lucas highlights DMCA's withdrawal attempts and warns that he believes the Golden Modz channel could be discontinued at any time. He also complains that other YouTubers who post Fortnite Leaks and cheats were not targeted in the same way by Epic.

"I almost feel discriminated against by Epic Games," Lucas said. "You know, I'm just a kid making videos on YouTube, and a lot of people have appreciated that."