Last week there were reports that fans of Destiny and even developer Bungie itself were on the receiving end of DMCA-led video takedowns. At first blush, it appeared that it was Google’s algorithm running amok, but a new lawsuit filed by Bungie that was first shared by MMO Fallout alleges that 10 people were behind the takedown wave, and the studio is seeking to sue these perpetrators into the ground.
The filing alleges that these 10 individuals, whose real names are withheld from the record, “provided [fraudulent DMCA notices] to YouTube with respect to content that supposedly infringed Bungie’s copyrights in its popular and successful Destiny franchise, disrupting Bungie’s community of players, streamers, and fans and causing Bungie nearly incalculable damage.”
Among the six charges leveraged against the defendants are copyright infringement, violation of the Washington Consumer Protection Act, and breach of contract, with Bungie seeking court-awarded monetary damages, coverage of attorneys fees, and injunctions against the 10 DMCA trolls and anyone associated with them from impersonating the company or further infringing on their trademarks.
In other Destiny-related news, interviews with composers of the first game discuss their work with Sir Paul McCartney on the soundtrack, the creative process that all of the artists shared, and the corporate tussling between Bungie and Activision that led to the Music of the Spheres album never seeing the official light of day. It’s an involved bit of reading, but also an insightful one for long-time Destiny fans.
