'Fallout 4' mods news update: Bethesda issues instructions on reporting stolen Xbox mods
"Fallout 4" mods have been popping up for Xbox One without modder consent.
According to various reports, some Xbox One users have been uploading stolen "Fallout 4" mods without consent from the creators. The issue was first brought up by Redditors on the popular "Fallout Mods" forum, where it was noted that the stolen mods were being uploaded under non-descriptive names like "do not download" and "test."
"Fallout 4" fans on PC were understandably displeased that the mods were being moved over to the Xbox One version of the action role-playing video game without permission.
According to Polygon, there have been reports of stolen mods within the "Fallout 4" community since the video game's Creation Kit tools were made available for Xbox One in May. Since then, some Xbox One players have supposedly been re-uploading PC mods without getting the authors' consent.
The stolen mods include ones from Bethesda and from Nexus Sites, a popular third-party site.
Following reports of the stolen "Fallout 4" mods, Bethesda has posted a guide on what gamers can do when they spot a stolen mod. In a recent post on its community page, the company outlined how "Fallout 4" fans should report users who have allegedly stolen mods from other players.
According to Bethesda, users who wish to have their unauthorized mods removed can file Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown requests via ZeniMax Media, the company that owns Bethesda.
"A number of you have reported instances of users uploading Mod content that allegedly does not belong to the Mod creator," Bethesda said in the post. "We take these reports seriously and want to protect copyright holders and authors of the Mod content shared on Bethesda.net."
"In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we request that anyone who believes their content was wrongfully uploaded to Bethesda.net formally submit a DMCA takedown request," the studio advised. "Please note: These reports should only come from mod authors and other copyright holders who believe their content was stolen."
Bethesda released mod support for the Xbox One version of "Fallout 4" on May 31. According to VG 24/7, the video game publisher is planning on extending this service to PlayStation 4 users as well.
