Reverse-engineered GTA code restored after developer files DMCA counterclaim
Wanted.
Reverse-engineered GTA code was restored after its developer filed a DMCA counterclaim on GitHub.
TorrentFreak reports GitHub restored a fork of the fan-made re3 project after its creator filed a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown counter-claim.
As Eurogamer reported in February, the Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City reverse-engineering fan project known as re3 was hit by a DMCA filed by Rockstar parent company Take-Two that claimed copyright infringement.
The fan-created source code for both games was made available on GitHub, offering a raft of eye-catching improvements over the original games officially available to play today on PC. (For more, check out our feature on how re3 came to be.)
Take-Two's DMCA takedown targeted the official GitHub repository, but more than 200 forks were also pulled offline. One of these forks was created by a developer named "Theo". At the time, project lead "aap" told Eurogamer he was worried filing a counterclaim might have sparked a lawsuit.
That didn't deter Theo, however, who filed a counterclaim with GitHub regarding his fork of the re3 project. Now, that fork has been restored.
This latest development is not evidence Take-Two has backed down. Rather, GitHub has followed DMCA procedure here. According to DMCA rules, disputed content must be restored between 10 and 14 business days, unless the rightsholder takes legal action.
Will Take-Two take legal action? Theo told TorrentFreak he hasn't heard from the company since, and doesn't expect to. The ball is in Take-Two's court, it seems.