Ripped off www.clan-ion.com thought some of u would be interested in this thx Stryder for putting it up:
Today we took notice of a letter that EPIC has sent to people who host a website which offers cheats and hacks, we already knew EPIC is busy taking down cheaters with banning the CD keys of players that actually use cheats, but now they even try to get the porgrammers of cheats and the people who offer them on their websites to be sued.
Let's hope this will end all the cheating, at least EPIC is trying really hard which is great!
Read full if you want to read the letter that EPIC sent.
Dear Sirs:
We represent Epic Games, Inc. ( "Epic" ). It has come to our attention that the website hosted at the domain "***.************.***" ( the "website" ) is operating in violation of Epic's copyrights and in violation of United States law. The website distributes pieces of Epic's game code that have been reverse-engineered and modified to permit cheating or use external, non-Epic developed code that requires reverse-engineering of Epic's game code to load the non-Epic code that modifies the game as it exists and executes in memory. The modification, redistribution, and reverse-engineering of the game code and modification of its execution in memory are violations of Epic's copyrights and of federal law. Examples of modified Unreal Tournament 2004 files located in the Game Cheat Releases section of your website include, but are not limited to, Helios-Hook-Tutorial-v1.0.rar, HelioS-Hook-v2.8.rar, and [Am0K]Trigger b0t 1.1.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 ( the "Act" ) provides that "no person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a [protected] work." 17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1)(A) (2004). It is also illegal to "manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof" that is designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure that controls access to a protected work or effectively protects the right of a copyright owner. 17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(2)(A), (b) (2004). The Act also makes it illegal to remove, alter or provide false copyright management information of a work. 17 U.S.C. § 1202 (2004).
The activities currently undertaken by "***.**********.***" violates the statutes discussed above. The website distributes files that have been modified or created by circumventing the technological measures designed to protect the code, integrity of the game, and copyright of Epic. The distributed files are further modified in that copyright management information has been removed. The website is also assisting in the creation and distribution of files that have been developed through reverse-engineering Epic's game files. Reverse-engineering is only possible after circumventing the safeguard mechanisms installed by Epic, which is an express violation of the Act. "***.************.***" does not have authority to modify, distribute, or reverse-engineer Epic files or otherwise modify the function or execution of the game.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides that Epic may seek damages ranging from $200 per offense to $25,000 per offense, 17 U.S.C. § 1203 (2004), with each distribution of a file constituting a separate offense. It also provides criminal penalties of up to $500,000 and 5 years in prison for a first offense.
Epic cannot permit its copyrights to be infringed upon or its product to be harmed through modifications from its manufactured form. Epic demands that you cease and desist from the following: 1) providing access to and/or means of distribution of any Epic game files; 2) providing access to and/or means of distribution of technology to circumvent measures designed to protect the game and Epic's copyrights; 3) providing instruction, information, or a medium for exchange of information relating to the modification of Epic game files, execution of the game, or other infringement of its copyrights; 4) engaging in any activity that removes, alters or produces false copyright management information of a work; and 5) engaging in any other activity that infringes upon Epic's copyright, promotes the breach of any End User License Agreement issued by Epic, or violates state or federal law relating to Epic's games.
We hope that you recognize the seriousness of the situation. In the event you fail to immediately take the appropriate action as outlined above, Epic has authorized us to take legal action against you, in which we will seek maximum civil and criminal penalties against you and users of your website.
Sincerely,
Christopher J. Ayers
Attorney for Epic Games, Inc.
Attorney at Law
Hunton & Williams LLP
P.O. Box 109
Raleigh, NC 27602
(919) 899-3129 (phone)
(919) 834-9908 (fax)
Today we took notice of a letter that EPIC has sent to people who host a website which offers cheats and hacks, we already knew EPIC is busy taking down cheaters with banning the CD keys of players that actually use cheats, but now they even try to get the porgrammers of cheats and the people who offer them on their websites to be sued.
Let's hope this will end all the cheating, at least EPIC is trying really hard which is great!
Read full if you want to read the letter that EPIC sent.
Dear Sirs:
We represent Epic Games, Inc. ( "Epic" ). It has come to our attention that the website hosted at the domain "***.************.***" ( the "website" ) is operating in violation of Epic's copyrights and in violation of United States law. The website distributes pieces of Epic's game code that have been reverse-engineered and modified to permit cheating or use external, non-Epic developed code that requires reverse-engineering of Epic's game code to load the non-Epic code that modifies the game as it exists and executes in memory. The modification, redistribution, and reverse-engineering of the game code and modification of its execution in memory are violations of Epic's copyrights and of federal law. Examples of modified Unreal Tournament 2004 files located in the Game Cheat Releases section of your website include, but are not limited to, Helios-Hook-Tutorial-v1.0.rar, HelioS-Hook-v2.8.rar, and [Am0K]Trigger b0t 1.1.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 ( the "Act" ) provides that "no person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a [protected] work." 17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1)(A) (2004). It is also illegal to "manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof" that is designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure that controls access to a protected work or effectively protects the right of a copyright owner. 17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(2)(A), (b) (2004). The Act also makes it illegal to remove, alter or provide false copyright management information of a work. 17 U.S.C. § 1202 (2004).
The activities currently undertaken by "***.**********.***" violates the statutes discussed above. The website distributes files that have been modified or created by circumventing the technological measures designed to protect the code, integrity of the game, and copyright of Epic. The distributed files are further modified in that copyright management information has been removed. The website is also assisting in the creation and distribution of files that have been developed through reverse-engineering Epic's game files. Reverse-engineering is only possible after circumventing the safeguard mechanisms installed by Epic, which is an express violation of the Act. "***.************.***" does not have authority to modify, distribute, or reverse-engineer Epic files or otherwise modify the function or execution of the game.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides that Epic may seek damages ranging from $200 per offense to $25,000 per offense, 17 U.S.C. § 1203 (2004), with each distribution of a file constituting a separate offense. It also provides criminal penalties of up to $500,000 and 5 years in prison for a first offense.
Epic cannot permit its copyrights to be infringed upon or its product to be harmed through modifications from its manufactured form. Epic demands that you cease and desist from the following: 1) providing access to and/or means of distribution of any Epic game files; 2) providing access to and/or means of distribution of technology to circumvent measures designed to protect the game and Epic's copyrights; 3) providing instruction, information, or a medium for exchange of information relating to the modification of Epic game files, execution of the game, or other infringement of its copyrights; 4) engaging in any activity that removes, alters or produces false copyright management information of a work; and 5) engaging in any other activity that infringes upon Epic's copyright, promotes the breach of any End User License Agreement issued by Epic, or violates state or federal law relating to Epic's games.
We hope that you recognize the seriousness of the situation. In the event you fail to immediately take the appropriate action as outlined above, Epic has authorized us to take legal action against you, in which we will seek maximum civil and criminal penalties against you and users of your website.
Sincerely,
Christopher J. Ayers
Attorney for Epic Games, Inc.
Attorney at Law
Hunton & Williams LLP
P.O. Box 109
Raleigh, NC 27602
(919) 899-3129 (phone)
(919) 834-9908 (fax)
its proberly just a bluff, trying to scare them into stopping 
) - it's not online gaming which has introduced this new problem called "cheating". 
) mwoa depends tho i think if they'd sue for tha ammount a lawyer would cost the opposition then that gives a clear enough signal. no need to try n make half a million + i assume this is indeed a warning.
