In many ways, the video games industry is still in its “wild west” phase. This is especially true when it comes to copyright laws. With the advent of things like YouTube and Twitch, the understanding of how IP laws intersect with user-generated content is messy, and it only gets messier when combined with the human element. Unfortunately, when disputes arise, people can get caught in the crossfire. Some ongoing troubles in the world of copyrights have caught River City Ransom: Underground in the middle, and it has been removed from Steam as a result.
We won’t get into it too much here, but a music composer by the name of Alex Mauer has been having ongoing issues with the rights holder to some of her music. What has ensued has been nearly a month of back and forth legal action, and further troubles that have drawn in hundreds of content creators in the video streaming community. Mauer has been issuing copyright takedown notices left and right to different games, and unfortunately these notices legally have to be taken at face value by companies like YouTube and Valve.
River City Ransom: Underground ended up getting wrapped into this mess and has been removed from Steam as a result of a copyright takedown notice from Mauer. The details are fuzzy, but the developers are currently in talks with Steam to get the matter resolved and get the game back up. For now, there’s so much scuttlebutt and drama it’s tough to get to the bottom of the matter. In our modern age of drama and harassment, we’d advise against digging too deeply into the matter. For now, keep an eye on the River City Ransom Twitter for more updates. Should you wish to buy a copy, it is still available on GOG and Humble.
Source: River City Ransom via Twitter