Are you one of the many gamers that are patiently awaiting the Cyberpunk 2077 release? We know we’re ready for it! CD Projekt has announced the game will allow for players to toggle off the game’s library of almost 150 songs spanning diverse genres, in a bid to allow streamers or recording to bypass the dreaded copyright strikes or Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices. CD Projekt further adds “if you run into any problems of this nature despite having the toggle on, be sure to check with us at legal@cdprojektred.com. We will try our best to help you!” Be sure to keep that email handy if you run into any trouble!
Copyrights are a form of intellectual property not to be confused with their IP sister, trademarks. According to the Copyright.gov website, “Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression,” such as literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works like poetry, novels, movies, songs, software, and architecture. DMCAs takedowns are a common way to protect a copyright owner’s materials.
We know what you’re thinking…sadly, a DMCA takedown is not a wrestling move, however it can be used as a protection method! The notice and takedown is a tool for copyright owners to let service providers like GoDaddy, Google, Instagram, Facebook, etc. know the material is infringing their copyright(s). A service provider must take action to either takedown the material or they can refuse to do so, but the latter may open them up to potential secondary liability for contributing to the infringement.
Article by Carissa Chow