Digital rights management software provider Denuvo is pursuing legal action against a prolific, yet anonymous, game cracker known as "voices38." The company filed a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing the cracker of violating copyright law by circumventing Denuvo's anti-tamper technology on 26 video games. The lawsuit targets an "unknown individual or entity" but also names 10 other unnamed defendants.
Denuvo's complaint, obtained by Torrent Freak, alleges that voices38 "has bypassed DRM restrictions in copyrighted works, removing protections that allow copyright owners to restrict who may access their works, and allowing for pirated versions of those copyrighted works." The legal strategy centers on invoking a section of US copyright law that prohibits the circumvention of digital locks on copyrighted material or the distribution of tools that facilitate such circumvention. Denuvo is seeking damages and an injunction against the removal of its anti-tamper software from any current or future video games.
A significant hurdle for Denuvo is the anonymity of the defendant. While the company has identified a Discord ID, a Reddit account, and several Steam profiles believed to be associated with voices38, their true identity remains unknown. It is believed that Denuvo intends to use the court filing to request permission to subpoena information from platforms like Valve, Reddit, and Discord to uncover the cracker's identity.
The legal action could potentially deter other crackers and make it easier to have links to DRM-busting software removed. Despite the lawsuit, the cracker purportedly remains unfazed, with a Reddit comment attributed to voices38 stating, "All is fine. Everything will continue as normal."
While circumventing Denuvo's DRM can facilitate game piracy, many users also seek its removal due to concerns about performance impacts. Denuvo's anti-tamper technology works by obfuscating and encrypting game code, which some argue can negatively affect frame rates. Denuvo has previously pledged to address this criticism, promising an independent testing initiative in 2023 to demonstrate that its DRM does not significantly impact game performance, though reports indicate this initiative has not yet materialized.
Beyond performance, another significant objection to Denuvo's DRM is its potential threat to game preservation. The software may require online checks to function, raising concerns about accessibility should online services be discontinued.