Square Enix Subpoenas Valve Over Deus Ex Leak

[vansau]

Square Enix Subpoenas Valve Over Deus Ex Leak

Square Enix isn't backing down in its legal actions to track down the guys who leaked Deux Ex: Human Revolution.

Square Enix has been pretty relentless in its pursuit of the folks responsible for the leak of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. First there was the lawsuit that went after the anonymous individuals who mis-used an Italian journalist's credentials to score (and then release) the game. Now, the publisher is legally demanding Valve to help track the guys down.

Apparently the press preview of the game was available via Steam, and one of the approved publications to check it out was Italian magazine Giochi per il Mio Computer ("GMC"). When a torrent file of the game appeared on the Web, "anomalies in the code" made it clear that the leaked copy was the version GMC had access to. Valve was able to discover that the computer used to download the game code didn't match the machine used by the authorized GMC writer.

Now, it turns out that Valve has more information on this case, including a specific Steam account and accompanying hardware ID number, "but it cannot release that information to Square Enix due to Valve's privacy policy, unless Valve is subpoenaed for the information."

So it turns out that Square Enix is doing just that. The company is asking for legal permission to subpoena the information from Valve. Basically, Valve's info will allow Square Enix to progress in the legal proceedings.

If Square Enix gets the permission it's seeking, it'll be interesting to see how the lawsuit winds up working out. It seems safe to assume that at least one Steam user is sweating a lot of bullets right now.

Source: <a href=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35685/Square_Enix_Files_Suit_Over_Deus_Ex_HR_Leak_Valve_Caught_In_Middle.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GamasutraNews+%28Gamasutra+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader>Gamasutra

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[Cousin_IT]

Don't see any reason they won't get it. This all seems like a legal formality rather than an unexpected development. Valve cover their bases in regards to protecting customer privacy, & Square Enix get their info.

 

[ResonanceSD]

I imagine you'd have to have supreme confidence in your information to subpoena VALVE . Hope these guys win, I'm sick of leaks.

CAPTCHA for me was a Mandarin character this time. Yeah that's totally fair. I'm not a computer, I promise.

 

[Katana314]

Someone needs to film the reaction when they find out that the Deus Ex leak actually convinced a significant amount of people on the fence to buy the full version.

Good luck finding some tangible proof of such a thing.

I think this seems fair enough...I mean, Valve could help them find the hackers, obviously. I just worry someone will come storming in, rude comment in mind, forgetting that "subpoena" doesn't mean to charge someone with a crime.

 

[Fappy]

Was it Valve or Square that authorized the download?

 

[Reyalsfeihc]

God... really Square? Are you being this fucking stupid?

What's next, firing off all the developers after the game releases because they encouraged those who did download this leak to post on the games official forums? Are you really getting pissed over something that has actually BOOSTED your initial sales figures for the game?


Hell, if you don't want money that badly, just pull a Ninteno (Of America) and just refuse to release the game at all.

They're just simply following standard protocol and trying to appease their shareholders. How would you feel if the product you sunk thousands/millions into was suddenly partially released on the internet?

Sure, WE know they're getting free publicity from the press release version getting leaked, but the shareholders who probably know little to nothing about video games more than likely don't understand that.

OT: Glad Square is approaching this the way they are with a significant amount of composure, it gives the industry a good light in the business world.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Don't see any reason they won't get it. This all seems like a legal formality rather than an unexpected development. Valve cover their bases in regards to protecting customer privacy, & Square Enix get their info.

Pretty much, yeah. Valve cannot afford to just hand over private client information without being legally compelled to do so because doing so would leave them open to all sorts of accusations and generate a not-small amount of paranoid bullshit.

 

[bob1052]

I imagine that SE are talking a lot with Valve and this is less taking legal steps against Valve as much as Valve sticking to their policy while at the same time inviting SE to subpoena them so that they can help in the investigation.

Was it Valve or Square that authorized the download?

I think SE gave Valve the list of allowed users while Valve handled distributions. SE decided who gets it but it went through Valve to get to them, which is why SE cares about the leak while Valve holds all the information.

 

[Treblaine]

Good that Valve is cooperating, even better that they demand a subpoena for "due process" so they don't jsut hand over information that any bereaved company's demands.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

OT: Glad Square is approaching this the way they are with a significant amount of composure, it gives the industry a good light in the business world.

Exactly. They're not having a screaming fit, they're not threatening to pull the PC version or to never release PC titles again, they're actually trying to find the source of the leak... and seriously, it's about time more publishers looked into where these leaks come from rather than blame the various gamer communities.

Apart from the wee factoid of Valve having more info about the leak, this is a non-issue.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Good that Valve is cooperating, even better that they demand a subpoena for "due process" so they don't jsut hand over information that any bereaved company's demands.

Valve had to. If this thing eventually results in people having their arses hauled into court Valve really don't want to give them an excuse to use a violation of their privacy under Valve's own policies as a chance to either have the case thrown out (not sure how the rules of evidence work in US courts) or turn around and sue Valve.

Plus, you know, fuck companies giving out private information without being compelled to. Leads to the question of what other circumstances they'll just give away private info.

 

[Le_Lisra]

Well, at least it wasn't stolen via hack like some other games Valve could mention..

 

[Roboto]

God... really Square? Are you being this fucking stupid?

What's next, firing off all the developers after the game releases because they encouraged those who did download this leak to post on the games official forums? Are you really getting pissed over something that has actually BOOSTED your initial sales figures for the game?


Hell, if you don't want money that badly, just pull a Ninteno (Of America) and just refuse to release the game at all.

This isn't an internal leak, such as some where you don't hear about it in the news and the employee gets fried [sic] within days.

This was a group of people or a person that bludgeoned their way into getting access from a secured file server without authorization. That is known as illegal!

Boosted sales has nothing to do with it. As far as the money goes, an NDA was violated, a server was compromised, and someone's gonna have to pay for it.

 

[MikailCaboose]

God... really Square? Are you being this fucking stupid?

What's next, firing off all the developers after the game releases because they encouraged those who did download this leak to post on the games official forums? Are you really getting pissed over something that has actually BOOSTED your initial sales figures for the game?


Hell, if you don't want money that badly, just pull a Ninteno (Of America) and just refuse to release the game at all.

It's best this way. Valve CAN'T just hand over the information even if they wanted to, because that would constitute a breach of their own protocol. Subpoenaing VALVE was the only way for the situation to be fixed in a civilized manner. Sure it may have helped, but there is a limit for the leaks.

 

[Zechnophobe]

Woa, look at the time! I just remember I need to go on a long vacation to the wilds of South America. Hah, guess I better delete that old steam account I barely use, hehe, yup, might as well just do that.

 

[Craorach]

I don't understand why people are attacking this.

Somebody stole unreleased code and posted it on the internet, damn straight Square is going after them.

 

[Baresark]

Someone needs to film the reaction when they find out that the Deus Ex leak actually convinced a significant amount of people on the fence to buy the full version.

Good luck finding some tangible proof of such a thing.

I think this seems fair enough...I mean, Valve could help them find the hackers, obviously. I just worry someone will come storming in, rude comment in mind, forgetting that "subpoena" doesn't mean to charge someone with a crime.

In todays world, a simple poll acts as tangible evidence, no matter how much it's not. I mean, politicians pass laws based on polls after all, I don't see why a simple poll wouldn't work here.

I don't understand why people are attacking this.

Somebody stole unreleased code and posted it on the internet, damn straight Square is going after them.

People are attacking it because they don't understand what subpoena means. I understand that most people don't hear the word subpoena outside of news in a high profile court case, but here it makes a ton of the rabid fans think Square-Enix is attacking Valve. Even if they learn it's a formality to not have Valve be put in a sticky situation I'm sure this will still get attacked, seeing how the sites developer bias swings.

Thank you for this! I hate how everyone attacks stuff like this on a forum because they are all so blissfully ignorant. It's pretty damn simple, Valve can't just give out that information without breaking some rules, but a judge can compel them to release that information and make it so Valve isn't breaking the rules.