Wednesday, June 16, 2021

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"Destiny 2" Creator Bungie Sues Cheat Seller AimJunkies for Copyright Infringement
Ernesto Van der Sar, 16 Jun 05:18 PM

aimjunkieCheating is a way for mediocre gamers to fool themselves into feeling superior.

Unfortunately, the cheaters' urge to artificially boost their scores and their egos ruins the fun for legitimate gamers. This is a major concern for game developers who are doing their best to prevent this activity.

Bungie Sues Aimjunkies and Phoenix Digital

Banning cheaters helps but in some cases it's simply not enough. This is something the American video game developer Bungie realizes all too well. This week, the company filed a lawsuit targeting cheat seller AimJunkies.com and the alleged creators of the software, Phoenix Digital Group.

"Defendants develop, advertise, use, and distribute a software cheat that purports to give players an unfair advantage in Destiny 2," Bungie writes in a complaint filed at a Seattle federal court.

"Defendants are infringing Bungie's copyrights and trademarks, circumventing technological measures protecting access to Destiny 2, and breaching and inducing other players to breach Bungie's Limited Software License Agreement."

According to Bungie, it is vital to Destiny 2's success that cheaters are kept out of the game.

Cheaters Harm Players and Revenue

The cheats directly harm other players, who may quit playing because of them. This hurts the image of the game directly and could lead to a decrease in sales. At the same time, the cheaters get in-game rewards, without really earning them.

"Cheaters ruin the experience of playing Destiny 2. Not only do cheaters impair the enjoyment of gameplay by non-cheaters with whom they interact in-game; cheaters illegitimately obtain and thereby devalue the in-game rewards that non-cheaters obtain legitimately," Bungie writes.

The developer says it already invests significant resources in anti-cheat solutions, but the defendants appear to have found a way around them.

"Destiny 2 Hacks" is Offline

The accusations revolve around the "Destiny 2 Hacks" cheat that was sold for $34.95/month on AimJunkies.com. According to the complaint, Phoenix Digital was listed as the seller of this cheat.

At the time of writing "Destiny 2 Hacks" is no longer available on the AimJunkies site but an archived copy of the page remains available.

destiny 2 cheat

The lawsuit lists AimJunkies as a defendant but also targets the Arizona company Phoenix Digital Group and several of its members, who allegedly created the software.

Interestingly, the "Destiny 2 Hacks" may have hurt the cheaters as well. Bungie believes that the software was also used to install malware and other harmful software on the computers of its users.

Copyright Claims and Damages

The allegations against the defendants include various copyright claims. These include copying and distributing Destiny 2 code and circumventing technological protection measures, which violates the DMCA.

Through the lawsuit, Bungie hopes to stop the sale of the cheat which has already been achieved, it seems. In addition, the game developer requests an injunction prohibiting the defendant from engaging in or enabling future copyright and trademark infringements.

To compensate for the damages that were suffered Bungie also requests damages for trademark and copyright infringement, which can potentially run in the millions.

This isn't the first time that Bungie has taken action against cheaters in court. Earlier this year it teamed up with Riot Games and sued cheat maker GatorCheats. This case was eventually settled for $2 million.

A copy of the complaint Bungie filed against AimJunkies and Phoenix Digital Group at the Seattle federal court is available here (pdf)

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Court Sentences Operator of Danish Torrent Trackers to Prison
Ernesto Van der Sar, 16 Jun 11:28 AM

asgaard downPrivate torrent sites with Danish roots have long been the go-to place for file-sharers in Denmark.

Up until late last year these torrent trackers were thriving communities. However, they swiftly collapsed when the Danish Government's SØIK's IP-Task Force got involved.

It started in September and October 2020 when DanishBits and NordicBits went offline after their operators were caught.

One operator of NordicBits, who confirmed his involvement, was apprehended in Spain but passed away soon after. A few weeks later, law enforcement arrested another suspected ringleader behind the site, a 50-year-old man from Middelfart.

NordicBits Operator Moved to Asgaard

According to the prosecution, the man wasn't just part of NordicBits. He later switched to the torrent tracker Asgaard, which grew explosively late last year after the other trackers were shut down.

This surge in popularity was just temporary. When it became clear that law enforcement and anti-piracy group Rights Alliance were determined to shut down all torrent trackers, Asgaard's staff threw in the towel voluntarily and released a prophetic statement.

"The thought of having to risk the doorbell ringing one day for a visit from the police overshadows the coziness of running this project. We will not expose you to that. Or ourselves. We have therefore chosen to close the ASGAARD project," Asgaard's staff wrote mid-December.

A few days after this message was posted, police arrested the 50-year-old man, who subsequently spent Christmas and New Year in prison.

Prison Sentence

This week, the Odense court sentenced the operator to a four-month prison sentence, of which three months are conditional.

The man is held accountable for helping to share thousands of films, TV series, music tracks, comics, and books. His involvement was quite broad. Among other things, he rented a server, set up payment services, and handled customer support requests.

No Victimless Crime

Prosecutor Christian Raaholt Hahn stresses that piracy isn't a victimless crime. It not only harms the copyright holders but also people who work for these companies including actors and makeup artists. The sentencing confirms that this won't go unpunished.

"I am very pleased with the verdict today, because it sends a clear signal to both backers and users that there will be a severe crackdown," the prosecutor says.

Maria Fredenslund, Director of the Rights Alliance, is happy with the outcome as well. It is especially important to crack down on people who move to new trackers, as these keep the problem intact.

"With this case, SØIK shows an effective and focused effort. This is absolutely crucial when backers behind private services try to build new platforms from the ground up. By quickly cracking down on backers and platforms, we can keep the illegal market in check and thereby avoid many future violations," Fredenslund notes.

In a press release, the Rights Alliance emphasizes the emotional impact of these cases. The anti-piracy group has repeatedly highlighted that the 50-year-old man is a father who spent Christmas and New Year in prison, away from his family.

Users Aren't Safe Either

Meanwhile, prosecutor Christian Raaholt Hahn issued a repeated warning that users of these sites are also at risk.

"Of course, I can not get into specific cases around our plans, but it is clear that our focus is not only on the perpetrators. We also focus on the users…," the prosecutor told TV 2 Fyn.

The 50-year-old man is not the only suspected ringleader of Asgaard who was caught. The investigation identified and provisionally charged six other suspects with criminal copyright infringement. SØIK is still deliberating whether it will take these remaining 'ringleaders' to trial.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

 
 
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