Urgent Request to Review and Suspend Current DMCA Takedown Process for Hearts of Iron IV Mods

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红色大闸蟹 10 Aug @ 11:41pm

(I have used machine-translation software; please excuse any awkward phrasing.)
I am writing to express deep concern over a wave of malicious DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedowns that is currently spreading through the Hearts of Iron IV modding community.
Under the DMCA “safe-harbor” provisions, platforms must act on a “notice-and-takedown” basis to reduce legal risk. However, this obligation rests on the assumption that every claim is truthful and valid. At present, Steam’s reporting interface does not require a verified e-mail address or any substantive proof of copyright ownership, which fails to meet the standard that notices be filed in good faith. Consequently, a growing number of well-known mods have received “yellow-strike” warnings and now face unwarranted removal.
If left unchecked, this pattern of abuse could easily spill into other communities. Games such as Counter-Strike 2 host thousands of Workshop items—many of them no longer maintained by their original authors—and are therefore highly vulnerable to fraudulent claims. Beyond harming creators, the surge in false reports will inevitably increase the workload of your DMCA team and raise Steam’s overall operating costs—an outcome no player wishes to see.
In light of the above, I respectfully request that Valve:
Temporarily disable the DMCA takedown tool for Hearts of Iron IV mods while the affected items are re-reviewed.
Introduce stricter verification steps for future claims, including:
• Mandatory e-mail verification
• Proof of copyright ownership (e.g., screenshots, registration certificates, or other documentation)
These measures will protect legitimate creators, reduce the burden on your staff, and prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I remain hopeful for a swift and fair resolution.

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Showing 1-15 of 79 comments

Nx Machina 10 Aug @ 11:48pm

Until proven otherwise a DMCA has to be acted upon based on the assumption that every claim is truthful and valid otherwise platforms face legal consequences.

红色大闸蟹 11 Aug @ 12:20am

Originally posted by Nx Machina:
Until proven otherwise a DMCA has to be acted upon based on the assumption that every claim is truthful and valid otherwise platforms face legal consequences.

The current DMCA reporting process clearly lacks any legal validity, as you can file a report against any mod by simply entering a fake email address and address.

datCookie 11 Aug @ 12:39am

The current problem may be enough to force Valve to look into securing this system so as to prevent further problems.

Time will tell.

TBS AlexDK 11 Aug @ 12:41am

Originally posted by 红色大闸蟹:
Originally posted by Nx Machina:
Until proven otherwise a DMCA has to be acted upon based on the assumption that every claim is truthful and valid otherwise platforms face legal consequences.
The current DMCA reporting process clearly lacks any legal validity, as you can file a report against any mod by simply entering a fake email address and address.

It's an issue that lies in how the law is written

Start_Running 11 Aug @ 1:14am

Originally posted by 红色大闸蟹:
Originally posted by Nx Machina:
Until proven otherwise a DMCA has to be acted upon based on the assumption that every claim is truthful and valid otherwise platforms face legal consequences.
The current DMCA reporting process clearly lacks any legal validity, as you can file a report against any mod by simply entering a fake email address and address.

And you are free to challenge that. And the issuer will respond to the challenge.

红色大闸蟹 11 Aug @ 2:16am

Many mod authors have either retired or passed away, and are thus unable to appeal. This undoubtedly harms their valuable legacy and also affects players who are still using these mods.

On Vacation 11 Aug @ 2:43am

It’s frustrating to watch this kind of abuse unfold on such a large scale across multiple games and potentially thousands of mods in real time. Counter-Strike wasn’t spared either. Even some classic map mods have been hit with DMCA claims, which is ironic given that Valve itself would likely be the copyright holder for the originals.

At this point, I’m skeptical that these DMCA claims are scrutinized at all. Valve seems unusual in this regard as even YouTube, for all its flaws, at least requires some minimal proof before a takedown is processed.

Last edited by On Vacation; 11 Aug @ 2:44am

红色大闸蟹 11 Aug @ 2:56am

We hope that Valve can handle this issue as soon as possible and temporarily withdraw all DMCA reports, not only for the many mod creators, but also for the gaming environment of tens of millions of players.

TBS AlexDK 11 Aug @ 3:16am

Originally posted by 红色大闸蟹:
We hope that Valve can handle this issue as soon as possible and temporarily withdraw all DMCA reports, not only for the many mod creators, but also for the gaming environment of tens of millions of players.

They legally can't do that, unless they want to risk losing their safe harbor protection

imaginecatchynamehere 11 Aug @ 4:04am

I would expect there will be some changes incoming to prevent instances of this on such a scale in the future. Hopefully it all gets sorted out soon.

#10

Truth 11 Aug @ 4:47am

Originally posted by 红色大闸蟹:
We hope that Valve can handle this issue as soon as possible and temporarily withdraw all DMCA reports, not only for the many mod creators, but also for the gaming environment of tens of millions of players.

They legally cannot, they are required by law to immediately remove them to avoid being caught up in any lawsuits per the law. If you want that changed then you need to contact the US politicians.

#11

Mad Scientist 11 Aug @ 4:52am

Last time people were unhappy about dmca it was because Nintendo was unhappy about their property being used.
If someone was making false dmcas there could be legal consequences.
Has anyone even said what mods were being taken down yet?

#12

imaginecatchynamehere 11 Aug @ 5:06am

Originally posted by Mad Scientist:
Last time people were unhappy about dmca it was because Nintendo was unhappy about their property being used.
If someone was making false dmcas there could be legal consequences.
Has anyone even said what mods were being taken down yet?

Last edited by imaginecatchynamehere; 11 Aug @ 5:33am

#13

yy5253mc 11 Aug @ 5:22am

Originally posted by On Vacation:
It’s frustrating to watch this kind of abuse unfold on such a large scale across multiple games and potentially thousands of mods in real time. Counter-Strike wasn’t spared either. Even some classic map mods have been hit with DMCA claims, which is ironic given that Valve itself would likely be the copyright holder for the originals.

At this point, I’m skeptical that these DMCA claims are scrutinized at all. Valve seems unusual in this regard as even YouTube, for all its flaws, at least requires some minimal proof before a takedown is processed.

From the videos I've seen, Valve doesn't actually review DMCA takedown notices at all. They simply forward the DMCA complaint to the mod author being reported, requiring the author to prove they haven't infringed any rights. Meanwhile, the reporting party doesn't even need to put effort into filing the complaint—they can submit completely arbitrary information (even just a single letter or number) to get a mod taken down. I hope Steam can address this issue soon, as too many Workshop mods are being affected.

#14