DMCA abuse on Steam is out of control and Valve isn’t fixing it
A growing number of Steam Workshop creators and community members are calling on Valve to overhaul its DMCA handling process after a string of high-profile takedowns hit popular mods across multiple games. We're tracking this controversy after it flared on Reddit recently. A Reddit user r/Destory-God compiled a post describing how malicious DMCA claims are being used to remove content - even after disputes are resolved.
The example at the center of the discussion comes from the Hearts of Iron IV modding scene. Two mods, The Fire Rises (TFR) and Loong Rising of Darkness (LROD), clashed after a team conflict. This led TFR’s developers to file a DMCA report against LROD. While representatives from both sides later reached a settlement, the original claim was never withdrawn. As a result, LROD was permanently removed.
More DMCA crossfire followed, with TFR itself becoming the target later. According to modders, the current Workshop system gives disproportionate power to the claimant: once a DMCA notice is filed, Valve notifies the accused creator, who must submit evidence proving their innocence - only for that evidence to be reviewed by the claimant themselves. If the claimant doesn’t retract the report, the content remains down, and after a month the developer’s account faces a risk of suspension.
The post’s author (and several commenters) agree that this system is very ripe for abuse. Even blatantly false claims can lead to removals with no penalty for the accuser. Also, this is not just a 'Valve' issue - many platforms handle DMCA disputes in a similarly one-sided manner.
As of now, multiple well-known mods are flagged with takedown notices, including xdReanimsBase for Left 4 Dead 2, Stormdark UI for Terraria, PropHunt for Garry’s Mod, UI Overhaul Dynamic for Stellaris, and even Perfect Wallpaper for Wallpaper Engine.
Valve needs to take action. The current Workshop DMCA system has serious problems and is now at risk.
byu/Destory-God inSteam
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