Content creators within the Fallout 4 modding community are flooding Bethesda Softworks with complaints following the discovery of several Xbox One mods stolen from PC version.
Mods have been extremely popular among gamers who often find modding a way to express creativity within the Fallout world and other games. While some PC content have already been uploaded to the console platform by their creators, other mods are yet to be transferred over by their owners.
According to Polygon, issues of stolen content have plagued the Fallout 4 modding community since the arrival of the post-apocalyptic game's Creation Kit to Xbox One. Unauthorized re-uploaded mods include those found on Bethesda.net and Nexus Mods. Many of the flagged creations were reportedly taken down but other stolen contents appeared to have slipped through the net.
This doesn't mean that the original modders wouldn't not prefer seeing their precious creations on the console but it is likely that the creators would rather make the content transfer on their own. For owners who labored to create the mods, unauthorized transfers of content under a different name would have been unacceptable. Still, some users within the Fallout 4 community defended the stolen PC mods and even criticized PC creators for being 'lazy' to jump their creations over to Xbox One on their own, Game Rant reported.
Following the brewing discontent involving the unauthorized transfers of content, Bethesda Softworks issued guidelines on how to report Fallout 4 users suspected of stealing content from other modders. Players can file takedown requests by invoking the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) through Zenimax Media.
But filing a DMCA request (via Bethesda.Net) takes a lot of bureaucratic paper work including tons of requirements that must be submitted to the Copyright Agent:
1. A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site.
3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate the material. Providing URLs in the body of an email is the best way to help us locate Content quickly.
4. Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail address at which the complaining party may be contacted.
5. A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
6. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
For affected modders, Bethesda is legally bound to address issues of stolen mods seriously. Content creators can always send DMCA notices provided that theft allegations meet the guidelines.
