[TF2] The new map Overcast contains stolen assets and copyright infringement

[IronFoxGaming]

The map Overcast, added in today's update, contains a laundry list of textures and props made by other members in the TF2 community without any credit or profits going to their creators. The map also features some textures generated by AI, as well as a TV prop full on playing a clip from the movie The Thing, which is copyright infringement on top of everything else. This is in direct violation of section 6D of the Steam Subscriber Agreement, specifically the part about what you submit having to be something you created and have legal ownership of.

I believe a full list of the stolen workshop assets has already been compiled and sent to Eric by the TF2Maps community, so I won't go into detail about those, but I'll show the movie clip as can be found in the map, since I feel that's the most damning part of the SSA violation. It plays on a TV in RED spawn, next to a framed image of TheReportOfTheWeek with an oil paint AI filter over it. The clip itself is the texture materials/models/props_arctic/television/snapshots.vtf. I was unable to get it to display on my end, as it appears to be triggered by something, or activated at random, so the first image here comes from @DidTF2GetUpdate on Twitter.

[condor00fr]

Gonna be honest there, map deserve to either be removed or something else. Cause ai stuff and thieft is bad.

[coredesu]

Gonna be honest there, map deserve to either be removed or something else. Cause ai stuff and thieft is bad.

It seems like the copyrighted material is from another pack the map creator used. I have no problem using AI, and the map creator has already credited the pack creators.

[ArtKitCat]

It seems like the copyrighted material is from another pack the map creator used. I have no problem using AI, and the map creator has already credited the pack creators.

Just because the pack creators are "credited" in a singular texture does not mean its okay for the map creators to profit off others work. When making a map all creators must have a share of the profit (IE be a contributor in revenue split list) unless they themselves choose not to. Some of these creators weren't even credited in the first place and had no idea their stuff was in the map to begin with. Yes, their assets are "free to the public" but are not meant to be taken and used for official map releases like this.