Microsoft withdraws DMCA claim against indie developer Unomelon

Microsoft has withdrawn its copyright claim against indie developer Unomelon.

Yesterday (February 10), Unomelon shared on social media that Microsoft filed “a false DMCA claim” against its voxel sandbox game Allumeria on Steam.

A portion of the claim was posted to the developer’s Discord server (via PC Gamer), in which Microsoft alleged that Unomelon had used Minecraft content “including but not limited to gameplay and assets without authorisation.”

Another post on the server suggested that the claim may have been automated. GamesIndustry.biz has contacted Microsoft for further clarification.

Unomelon has since shared email correspondence on its server confirming the removal of the copyright claim.

“This is the best case scenario,” it wrote. “I am still not sure about the details, but whatever happened, it worked. The Steam page and game has been fully restored, and I did not need to file a counterclaim, meaning there will be no chance of a lawsuit.”

The developer continued: “My hope is that automated claims like this are investigated or prevented in the future. DMCA claims can do serious damage to independent creators like myself. Whether on YouTube or Steam.”

“I hope things can change, and I hope this situation fills other block game developers with hope.”