GitHub has lifted the ban on the RE3 project repository, which was disabled in February following a complaint from Take-Two Interactive, the owner of the intellectual property related to the games GTA III and GTA Vice City. The ban was lifted after the RE3 developers submitted a counter-complaint challenging the validity of the initial decision.
The appeal states that the project is developed based on reverse engineering, but only the source texts created by project participants are hosted in the repository, while the object files used to recreate the game functionalities are not hosted there. The RE3 developers believe that their code either does not fall under the legislation governing intellectual property rights or falls under the category of fair use, allowing the creation of compatible functional analogs.
It is also stated that the main goal of the project is not to distribute unlicensed copies of someone else's intellectual property, but to provide fans the opportunity to continue playing older versions of GTA, fix bugs, and ensure compatibility with new platforms. The RE3 project helps preserve cultural heritage, which includes iconic old games, contributing to increased sales for Take-Two and stimulating demand. In particular, the use of RE3 code requires assets from the original game, prompting users to purchase the game from Take-Two.
The actions of the RE3 developers were fraught with the risk of possible escalation of conflict — in response to a counter-complaint, DMCA law requires that restrictions be lifted, but only if the applicant of the contested complaint does not file a lawsuit within 14 days. The submission of the counter-complaint followed a consultation with a lawyer organized by GitHub. The lawyer warned the RE3 developers about their rights and risks, after which the RE3 team decided to proceed. Fortunately, everything ended successfully and Take-Two did not initiate court proceedings.
We would like to remind you that the re3 project is working on reverse engineering the source texts of the games GTA III and GTA Vice City, released about 20 years ago. The published code was ready to build a fully functioning game using files from the game resources, which were to be extracted from a licensed copy of GTA III. The code restoration project was launched in 2018 with the goal of fixing certain bugs, expanding capabilities for mod developers, and conducting experiments to study and replace algorithms for simulating physical processes. This includes porting to Linux, FreeBSD, and ARM systems, adding support for OpenGL, enabling sound output through OpenAL, adding additional debugging tools, implementing a rotating camera, extending XInput support, enhancing peripheral device support, providing scaling output for widescreen displays, and adding a map and additional options to the menu.
Source: opennet.ru
