US judge temporarily bans maker of GTA Online cheat tools

A US federal judge on Thursday imposed a temporary injunction on a man allegedly responsible for the development of two cheat tools for the game GTA Online. As a result, he can no longer offer it.

Reuters writes that Take-Two, the publisher of GTA Online, accuses the man of being behind the software Menyoo and Absolute. These seem to be tools that let players make changes in the multiplayer game, with which they can, among other things, gain an advantage over other players. The judge has imposed a preliminary injunction, which means that a provisional injunction has been imposed pending the outcome of the case.

According to the judge, it is plausible that the man has infringed Take-Two’s copyright with regard to the game. The software would also cause ‘irreparable damage’ to the game’s sales figures and reputation by discouraging players from purchasing the game. The ban would be necessary to get Take-Two to invest more in games and would be proportionate because there is a high chance that the man will not be able to pay damages.

According to Reuters, the publisher claims to have suffered half a million dollars in damage due to the software. The company also says it will continue to take legal action against “disruptions to its multiplayer gaming community”. Early this year, in February, when Take-Two released its quarterly earnings report, it revealed that it has sold 90 million copies of GTA V since its release in 2013. The company also cited record revenues from “recurring spending” in GTA Online. Earlier this month, the company went on to say that it has sold nearly 100 million copies of the game and that the After Hours expansion for GTA Online was its most successful to date.