Epic Games Takes Action Against Fortnite Leakers on YouTube
Epic Games is cracking down on Fortnite leakers and dataminers by requesting YouTube users to remove videos featuring leaked cosmetics.
Popular Fortnite content creators, such as HYPEX, Happy Power, and Cross Leaks, have reportedly received emails from Epic Games asking them to delete YouTube videos that showcase leaked skins and other cosmetics.
In a Twitter post, Happy Power stated that they could potentially face legal action if they did not remove their leak videos within 48 hours. Cross Leaks announced that they would no longer post leaks on YouTube, while HYPEX has yet to make a public statement.
A Twitter user named FNBRLeaks shared a screenshot of an alleged email exchange between an undisclosed user and an Epic representative. According to the representative, videos with unreleased Fortnite content on YouTube infringe the company’s intellectual property rights and end user license agreement.
Another screenshot from the exchange shows an Epic representative stating that videos with leaked content are misusing the company’s trademark. They refer to a section in the company’s end user license agreement that grants Epic ownership of all content in the game files, whether released or not. This grants Epic the right to file copyright infringement complaints on YouTube to have leaked videos removed.
Despite the removal of some videos shown in the screenshots, there are still several other leaked content videos on YouTube with over 100,000 views. It appears that Epic has not thoroughly enforced its end user license agreement rules yet.
This is just one of the steps Epic is taking to reduce Fortnite leaks. The company recently banned game accounts of leakers for illegal use of the game software, prompting other dataminers to quit leaking due to the risk of being caught and punished. Some dataminers also expressed concerns about the toxic Fortnite community and the potential for their personal information to be exposed by angry community members.
has reached out to Epic for comment.
H/T Bang