• Hail Guest!
    We're looking for Community Content Contribuitors to Stratics. If you would like to write articles, fan fiction, do guild or shard event recaps, it's simple. Find out how in this thread: Community Contributions
  • Greetings Guest, Having Login Issues? Check this thread!
  • Hail Guest!,
    Please take a moment to read this post reminding you all of the importance of Account Security.
  • Hail Guest!
    Please read the new announcement concerning the upcoming addition to Stratics. You can find the announcement Here!

Epic Games Sues Player for Cheating

Tjalle

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
I hope they follow through...
 

Fridgster

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Not sure I'm ok with this. Yeah the little twerp should be banned, however finacially crippling a 14 year old for life seems just a tad extreme for cheating in a game.
 

BeaIank

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Campaign Supporter
Well, he filled a counter claim at youtube so Epic's only option was to sue, so...
 

Lady Kyo

Seasoned Veteran
Oh this was not posted in the right place? so now it was moved and no one will see it., How was it off topic??
 

Lady Kyo

Seasoned Veteran
I suppose I thought this was relevant considering we play a GAME just like it and thought wow what if UO actually did more than just perma ban (which really isn't a perma ban with 2 week free trials that can be created over and over) Is taking a child to court over cheating the answer or make it harder for players not to cheat?
 

Morgana Grim

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Reading this article, it appears this is happening in the region of my state in which I live.
This seems to have gotten waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of hand. Being there is youtube involvement, I really don't understand why youtube didn't just take the vid down. Then let the claim / counter claim actions pan out. I've seen a LOT of vids taken down (for less btw) without giving the poster an option to counterclaim before take down action was implemented. Then usually the video will be reinstated after the claim is won by the poster(counter claimant)...or not if the claimant wins. I can understand the game's side and the mother's side of the argument. Wonder why there is no "making a deal" with the kid in order to find out where he got the cheat from....since he isn't the creator and isn't distributing. I mean really come on Epic, you don't think there is a how to on the site the kid got it from? I'm really not for going after a 14 year old and making an example of them. Yes perhaps the kid does need a lesson in moral, ethics or whatever, but going after a 14 year old for that kind of money does appear to be a step too far as the last sentence of the article states.
 

Lady Kyo

Seasoned Veteran
I have to agree with you Morgana! I think this 14 yr old is being "made an example of" and they don't seemed concerned that they make bankrupt his family (to them $100k is probably a drop in the bucket) They would have done better going after the creater of the cheat video (If I didnt read this wrong, he followed a video and then reposted it?)
 

Morgana Grim

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Thanks for posting that. It shows 49 - 53 of his unlawful acts. I would like to see 1-48. Number 52, the nobody likes a cheater thing is a bit of a stretch in the "unlawful acts" I would think. Interesting they are saying the 14 year old is "allegedly acting as support personnel for the site". If the site can be connected to the 14 year old and the 14 year old is making money from the site... Then yeah that might put a different spin on things. A free to play suing for 100k seems a bit much, regardless of the age of the defendant.
So far as support personnel.....how much interaction with the site creators would actually be considered site support? Would using software or a program offered by a site then reporting on function or bugs be considered support? By that "assumption" couldn't anyone in UO that offers help or reports a bug be considered "support"? Like the original article stated, things can be a bit murky. I do agree with the mother, why only these two? Seems it's something wide spread. That's the thing with any game in any format, people can and will find a way to cheat. How far is to far in prosecution?
 

Fridgster

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED

Lady Kyo

Seasoned Veteran
Something we will have to keep an eye on. Once you read the court documents, the boy, Caleb (as stated in the court documents) doesn't seem so "innocent". He made MONEY off his livestreaming as well. On a free game.
 

Archnight

Legendary Merchant & Rare Collector
Professional
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
This simply is not a good look for Epic. They may have a shot at winning this suit (in my opinion it seems like a long shot) but they are about to realize the court of public opinion doesn't always concur with the legal court.
It's bad PR twist for sure... I see this being settled out of courts with the mother telling/forcing the son to remove the "How to Cheat" content from Youtube, time will tell though
 

Lore

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
I've never really cared about this kind of PR. You have to protect your intellectual rights.

I do agree with the Music Industry analogy in the article though. It shouldn't target a user. Youtube video should be treated just the same as the kid telling people in school. It's a communication platform. The real problem is the people that develop a cheat or don't test their games.
 

Spartan

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Interesting. Epic is using the DMCA to get this into court. By initially approaching the boy with a takedown request and getting refused, they really have no option based on their case argument of instructional video.

But the mom sure as hell purs up a strong case otherwise as well. Since she states she did not give permission for the kid to play the game, is she going to take it away now? Then again that's kinda hard to do on an F2P platform, isn't it?

In the long run, I think Epic may pull this one off but not before a lot of bruised egos get involved!
 

Lady Kyo

Seasoned Veteran
And, as we read "perma banning" a player can't really be done, since there are cheap arounds. If a player is that intent on getting into the game, they will find a way.
 
Top