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In legal documents made public today by Imagos Films, Imagos Softworks, and Don Thacker against Alex Mauer, it looks as though Mauer acted with malicious intent against Don Thacker. She admitted to knowingly and willfully abusing the legal system in order to try to bankrupt Don Thacker and Imagos. In the lead up to this, Mauer has filed a number of DMCA takedowns across a number of YouTube videos.
Many of these videos were from normal users that put up gameplay footage of the game Starr Mazer: DSP. See, Mauer made some music for the game and, despite working as a contract for hire, she felt as though she owned the rights to the music that was created for the game. Thanks to a dispute with Don Thacker of Imagos Softworks (the studio behind Starr Mazer: DSP), that amounted to under $9,000, Mauer decided to make everyone else's life a living hell.
DMCA takedowns were issued to countless YouTube videos from countless innocent bystanders. We're talking about at least 100+ YouTube content creators. Mauer told these people that if they wanted the takedowns to be reversed they would need to take it up with Imagos Softworks and that they would need to help Mauer in her crusade against the development studio. Keep in mind that copyright strikes on YouTube channels can permanently shut down your YouTube channel once three strikes are hit within a short span of time. Given the automated nature of YouTube's DMCA system, there was really no stopping Mauer from sending out takedowns en masse.
Mauer didn't stop at small YouTube channels either. She went on to file DMCA takedowns for Death Road to Canada, a game put out by Adult Swim Games that also included music created by Mauer. These takedowns once again hit innocent users that put up Death Road gameplay footage in addition to videos put up by Adult Swim Games themselves. Plus keep in mind that due to contracts between parties, she has no legal grounds to claim any of the music as her own in any of these games.
Mauer also sent a cease and desist to Turner Broadcasting, the parent company for Adulst Swim saying that the broadcast company engaged in copyright infringement. She also issued DMCA takedowns of Duck Game trailers and gameplay videos. Mauer then issued DMCA takedown requests to Valve over Starr Mazer: DSP. Valve was forced to take the game down for a brief period while they investigated. Valve issued a counter-claim telling Mauer to provide proof of a rights violation. She could not and did not provide any such proof and Starr Mazer: DSP was added back to Steam.
The rabit hole goes much deeper than what I've been able to summarize above. Just remember that this all began over a sum of less than $9,000 that Mauer claims Don Thacker owed her over work done for Starr Mazer: DSP. With that in mind, it needs to be noted that Mauer has freely admitted to a co-worker that she willfully chose not to seek legal advice and was doing all of this in an effort to bankrupt Don Thacker (PDF link to legal filings).
There's nothing quite like ruining the lives of dozens, if not hundreds of innocent people, attacking and threatening large companies like Adult Swim Games, Turner Broadcasting, and Valve, and ruining your career over what almost literally amounts to nothing.
Many of these videos were from normal users that put up gameplay footage of the game Starr Mazer: DSP. See, Mauer made some music for the game and, despite working as a contract for hire, she felt as though she owned the rights to the music that was created for the game. Thanks to a dispute with Don Thacker of Imagos Softworks (the studio behind Starr Mazer: DSP), that amounted to under $9,000, Mauer decided to make everyone else's life a living hell.
DMCA takedowns were issued to countless YouTube videos from countless innocent bystanders. We're talking about at least 100+ YouTube content creators. Mauer told these people that if they wanted the takedowns to be reversed they would need to take it up with Imagos Softworks and that they would need to help Mauer in her crusade against the development studio. Keep in mind that copyright strikes on YouTube channels can permanently shut down your YouTube channel once three strikes are hit within a short span of time. Given the automated nature of YouTube's DMCA system, there was really no stopping Mauer from sending out takedowns en masse.
Mauer didn't stop at small YouTube channels either. She went on to file DMCA takedowns for Death Road to Canada, a game put out by Adult Swim Games that also included music created by Mauer. These takedowns once again hit innocent users that put up Death Road gameplay footage in addition to videos put up by Adult Swim Games themselves. Plus keep in mind that due to contracts between parties, she has no legal grounds to claim any of the music as her own in any of these games.
Mauer also sent a cease and desist to Turner Broadcasting, the parent company for Adulst Swim saying that the broadcast company engaged in copyright infringement. She also issued DMCA takedowns of Duck Game trailers and gameplay videos. Mauer then issued DMCA takedown requests to Valve over Starr Mazer: DSP. Valve was forced to take the game down for a brief period while they investigated. Valve issued a counter-claim telling Mauer to provide proof of a rights violation. She could not and did not provide any such proof and Starr Mazer: DSP was added back to Steam.
The rabit hole goes much deeper than what I've been able to summarize above. Just remember that this all began over a sum of less than $9,000 that Mauer claims Don Thacker owed her over work done for Starr Mazer: DSP. With that in mind, it needs to be noted that Mauer has freely admitted to a co-worker that she willfully chose not to seek legal advice and was doing all of this in an effort to bankrupt Don Thacker (PDF link to legal filings).
There's nothing quite like ruining the lives of dozens, if not hundreds of innocent people, attacking and threatening large companies like Adult Swim Games, Turner Broadcasting, and Valve, and ruining your career over what almost literally amounts to nothing.