PlayStation suffered a defeat in a legal battle in the European Union. Last Thursday (17), the European Court of Justice ruled that third-party tools that operate on its consoles, such as cheats, do not necessarily violate the company's copyright. The decision especially benefits developers like Datel, known for creating modifications for popular games, like MotorStorm , on the PlayStation 4.
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The decision is seen as a milestone for the industry, especially for cheat and mod creators, who will now be able to operate with fewer restrictions. According to the judges, Datel — known for creating cheats for games like MotorStorm — did not violate the legislation by offering tools that temporarily alter the data sent to the PlayStation 4's RAM memory.
Impacts of the decision for the gaming industry
The ruling could have a profound impact not only on Sony, but also on competitors like Nintendo and Xbox. The decision weakened the control that these companies exercised over the use of their consoles, allowing players to modify games in ways unforeseen by developers. The use of cheats and mods, which have long faced resistance from manufacturers, may gain more space and legality within the European market.
Although the decision seems like a victory for consumers and mod developers, companies still maintain the prerogative to ban players who use these tools in their games, if this violates the platforms' terms of use. However, the sale of cheats that alter temporary data cannot be immediately prevented, according to the court's interpretation.
Cheats and copyright tools
The main issue raised by Sony was about copyright surrounding its intellectual properties, especially regarding the use of external tools that alter gameplay. However, Attorney General Maciej Szpunar compared the situation to reading a mystery book, where it would be absurd to try to prevent a reader from skipping to the end of the story without reading the previous chapters. According to him, tools that only modify temporary variables in games do not violate the creators' rights over their works.
This comparison illustrates well the European Court of Justice's understanding: as long as the game's source code is not directly modified, interference with the data passing through the consoles' temporary memory does not constitute a violation. Therefore, cheat creators who act in this way can now operate with greater peace of mind, at least within the limits of the European Union.
Consequences for players and developers
Although the decision favored Datel and other cheat developers, players who use these tools may still face consequences within the platforms. Sony and other companies retain the right to ban accounts that use cheats in their online services. This measure remains valid as part of the terms of use agreement for the services offered. The sale of cheats may be permitted in some cases, depending on the context and local regulations. However, the indiscriminate use of these cheats still entails serious punishments for players caught violating the rules established in the games.
With the judgment, an important precedent is set for the legality of third-party software, especially with regard to the creation of mods for consoles. This aspect can benefit the gaming community, which has long demanded greater freedom to personalize their gaming experiences. At the same time, this new dynamic demands more responsibility from consumers, who will have to deal with possible sanctions if their activities violate platform regulations.
