The publisher of computer games Nexon has accused the Discord platform of spreading pirate versions of video games, including their own. Nexon has demanded that Discord provide data from users suspected of copyright violations, citing a lawsuit under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) issued by a federal court in Texas.
Discord has refused to meet all of Nexon’s demands, arguing that doing so would infringe on users’ rights to anonymity protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Nexon claims in a recent court filing that Discord is ignoring legal requirements and failing to provide necessary data to hold accountable those who violate their intellectual property.
Lawyers representing Discord have stated that Nexon’s request is overly broad and premature. In July, Discord informed Nexon that complying with all the demands could impede users’ freedom of speech, which is safeguarded by the First Amendment. However, Nexon believes that without this data, they cannot effectively combat piracy.
Discord’s representatives have highlighted that they already provided basic information about 64 users as part of a prior request, but Nexon continues to press for more data, despite the full compliance with previous agreements. Discord’s lawyers, in a letter accompanying Nexon’s latest court filing, argue that further demands not only violate freedom of speech but also place an undue burden on the platform.
Although Discord has pledged to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Nexon maintains that the company is dragging out the process. This situation underscores the challenges in balancing copyright protection with internet users’ right to anonymity.
This dispute raises questions about the boundaries for companies seeking to protect their interests and the point at which users’ privacy rights take precedence.