Ever since the release of GTA Online five years ago, some clever people started creating programs that manipulate the game’s code, allowing players to cheat and interfere with the gameplay of others as a result. The use of these cheat programs had escalated to the point Take-Two started banning PC Mod users from the game. One of these programs is a software known as Elusive, which is linked to Florida resident Jhonny Perez. Take-Two accuses Perez of copyright infringement due to his involvement in the creation and distribution of the program.
“In essence, Defendant is free riding on Take-Two’s intellectual property to sell a commercial product that interferes with the carefully orchestrated and balanced gameplay that Take-Two created for its players,” Take-Two explains in the court filing. Furthermore, the GTA Online publisher noted that the defendant has a clear motive for profit, given that the Elusive software was sold at prices ranging from $10 to $30.
As a result, Take-Two is demanding $150,000 in damages, which is the maximum statutory damages for copyright infringement cases. Before Take-Two’s court filing, the game publisher had reached out to Perez to request detailed financial statements to reach a fair settlement. However, Perez failed to provide the necessary documents and eventually stopped responding to Take-Two, which prompted the company to move forward for a default judgment. Take-Two also revealed that Perez’s failure to provide documents and eventual silence makes it clear that the defendant is guilty on the charges.
This incident is not the first time that Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive took cheaters to court. A few months ago, a federal judge awarded Take-Two with a preliminary injunction to put a stop to a Georgia resident from selling cheat programs online. Given recent developments, it seems that both Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games are sending a clear message that anyone who is currently engaged in the cheating business must stop immediately or face legal consequences.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: TorrentFreak
