Square Enix was rather displeased when an invite-only preview copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution was leaked onto the web, and now they’re in the mood for revenge, filing a lawsuit against fifteen Italian individuals who downloaded and distribute the game online.
According to the complaint, Square Enix held a limited preview for select press to access through a secret internet portal. Unnamed people then logged into the portal using an Italian journalist’s access but they did this without permission or knowledge of the journalist, and the IP address used was not associated with the previewer’s publication.
The preview build of the game, which is believed to be the first 10-12 hours of the game, was then copied from the portal and distributed via peer-to-peer file sharing websites. Square Enix is hitting the people with direct, contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. Damages are cited in the excess of $5000, and Square Enix is seeking a permanent injunction of copying and republishing against defendants, as well as the usual attorney’s fees and costs.
Stay tuned here as more information of this breach becomes available.
[Via]
