TTS Loses More Content To Unlawful DMCA Claims

[Vangoich]

As a presence here within the Workshop I can say for a fact that the majority of content we play/make has an existing basis, probably 90% of it is just a virtual replication of what already exists - which is fair enough.

But Valve once again, as always, has little regard for who they eliminate in their DMCA witchhunts. Some of you might be familiar with some of my content, Scoobie's Scrolls (which was Spotlighted) and a few others, like my Legendary Metal Coins Collection which were these little pretties here: https://i.imgur.com/bvlwpXA.png

Well it turns out that someone had the bright idea to purge 'Legendary' from the Workshop here because clearly they are the rightful holders of that IP, including the word apparently.

Here is a copy of the e-mail I received and a list of the other poor mods which were unrightfully purged alongside my own: https://i.imgur.com/07eVX52.jpg

Although I can't speak about other content there, my mod which is based on coins for use in TRPGs or any other tabletop application really, is made by a European company called Drawlab Entertainment. I actually own these coins in real life and essentially made a virtual representation, all credit was given to Drawlabs and I don't profit from this in any way.

But then again that doesn't really matter, Upper Deck - the ones who filed the DMCA who describe themselves as:
We're not just a "trading card" company; we're a worldwide sports and entertainment company. We're a company with PASSION and ATTITUDE...about sports...about authenticity...about quality and innovation.
Decided that my coins infringe on their rights, well Steam/Valve were too lazy to actually find the legitimate copyright content and decided to purge anything with the term 'Legendary', not just that but also punish the uploader which now means I can't rectify any of my content or make any new stuff until 5th of November, 2013. Oh yes this is true: https://i.imgur.com/sHOsUcP.png

Already put in a support claim to Valve but I doubt they will take any notice, this all stemmed from the links to my Scrolls going down, and I couldn't seem to update the description with my new links, how odd I thought? Then I decided to look online for this issue and that's when I saw this in my e-mail.

So there you have it folks, unless anyone has a time machine my mod posting days on TTS are over, and likely all the other poor sods like me. I can't even fathom doing a Counter-Complaint nor am I capable so it's the end for me pals.

EDIT: Links have updated on Scoobie's Scrolls, you can find them over there in the description.

[KnuxSD]

wow, that is just stupid and ridiculous..

but another thing, can't you just do a new account? Or did this incident just make you say: "well, ♥♥♥♥ this then."

[Horse Gaming]

Originally posted by Scoobs | Gooch:

I can't rectify any of my content or make any new stuff until 5th of November, 2013. Oh yes this is true: https://i.imgur.com/sHOsUcP.png

not trying to give any smart opinion or anything, but hasn't this date passed?

[KnuxSD]

Originally posted by ケロ ケロ:

Originally posted by Scoobs | Gooch:

I can't rectify any of my content or make any new stuff until 5th of November, 2013. Oh yes this is true: https://i.imgur.com/sHOsUcP.png

not trying to give any smart opinion or anything, but hasn't this date passed?

that is the point of the line: "Oh yes, this is true"

Valve soesnt even care enough to make working ban rules or whatever... on the top of that, yes, it has passed, which means it cannot pass anymore, meaning he is permanently timebanned.

[Baryonyx]

Well, sorry for that but why are you not capable of a counter-complaint?

[Vangoich]

It's a risk I take because I'm outside of the United States, in that I accept service of process from the plaintiff. It means that although I am in the right and they are in the wrong, they could decide to make clarifying the DMCA require official written permission from the rightful copyright holder - in which case is Drawlab Entertainment. If I don't get that within a certain deadline not only do I lose any further right to refute the claim but also am liable for potential fees.

This costs them nothing and very little time to counter notice my counter claim, whereas puts me at the mercy of another company - who 9 times out of 10 wouldn't want to get involved - that now has to take time to provide proof of their copyright and then also decide to grant me permission.

[KnuxSD]

that sounds just awful

[KnuxSD]

btw sorry i am dumb and i cant read (because of the questions for PMs and the stuff

[Marquise*]

But surely if you have the physical coins and also that you have the name of the company that makes them and also they haven't been bought by them. Surely you can prove out of all doubts that it isn't theirs to sue about?!

Gah! This is a money thing. Cannot use legendary word. Apparently we can't use Police Public Phone boot eighter and Fallout word eighter anymore. *sigh* But in your case or any other all expletatives like Epic, Legendary. Supreme etc... Certainly we can't sue against the use of the rightfully spelled words of the dictionary?!

ADDENDUM
I think that company might get sued for red herrings. I mean it harmed and harassed an innocent into claiming something provable to not belong to them was theirs!

[Rose]

consumer friendly.... does anyone remember that phrase? my parents used to use it years backl, but, i cant for the life of me remember what it meant.

my head hurts

[Vangoich]

So I've sent all the information over to Steam, their response was:

Steam Support does not offer technical assistance with content creation in the Workshop.

For specific creation issues, please see the Steam Workshop discussions to search posts or submit a new post to get help from your fellow content creators.

We also recommend looking up the game-specific discussion page.

Steam Support

That's it, their answer to a problem they caused. They turned a DMCA claim into an unlawful one. Rather than investigate, they just removed anything with an infringing word not even content, and upon requesting help with this fault of theirs, they refuse to do so.

What they don't understand is a lot of Workshop authors use Steam as a part of their portfolio professionally. There are a few big names within the TTS Workshop community who actually get contracted to do work. So in actual fact Valve is infringing on the potential monetary income of authors who would lose work.

This is clearly grounds for the affected parties to claim damages from Valve for negligence, maybe they would pay attention then.

[Marquise*]

It is because they do not want to be sued. Gah... not like You Tube. :P I added an addendum to my last post. Grr I think in some brackets of salaries in some countries you would have a free lawyer for things that way. Still it might had helped if you were friend with the company which made the coins because Legendary claims those designs belongs to them. Anyway we cannot sue for a common name. Imagine if Stephen King owned the word IT! We couldn't name properly things in some sentences or make some! -_-;

Yeah I think so but remember the 6B part of their terms. Basically it stipulate that anything you post on Steam is owned by Steam. (I wish it wasn't the case because I would use the workshop like mad if I didn't had to worry about my intellectual properties. :D )

[ulia]

Don't sweat it scoobs, after the year 2,147,483,647 time will have looped back to 0 and eventually end up back at 2013.

[Rex]

This is terrible, you have my condolences. We all make risks when we upload to workshop, we knew that as we did it. It's too bad though, we possibly help the copyright owners with marketing more than hurt. For example, I am a proud owner of several games I played from this game, such as Coup, Love Letter, Good Cop bad Cop, Spyfall.... I am sure others as well are.

[Baryonyx]

Kimiko, Knil, as the owners of this game and also US citizens, can you perhaps help Scoobs out?

[Vangoich]

Got an update, Steam finally realised their Workshop 'restriction' was a bit intense and decided to drop it, although I've still got to fight for my Legenda-- I mean Lustrious Dragon Coin Collection in the meantime, I'll figure out a tactic over the new year and hopefully everyone else who lost their content can resolve this as well.