Approximately a month ago, a person revealed the art book that was intended for the collector’s edition of the soon-to-be-released video game, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The leaked material revealed no significant spoilers related to the game’s narrative. Still, it contained numerous sketches and digital images showcasing various aspects of the game, such as characters, weapons, landscapes, and a unique item called “Hateno Cheese.” It sparked a humorous reaction from the fans, who playfully joked that the game’s protagonist, Link, would be required to reforge the Triforce, an important symbol in the franchise, using blocks of cheese.
The initial Reddit post that contained the leaked content from the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Edition has been removed. However, the leaked content can still be accessed on social media platforms and Discord. Nintendo is not happy with Discord regarding the breach. It has requested that the chat application provide the personal information of the person responsible for the unauthorized release.
Nintendo has reportedly issued a subpoena to Discord in California district court, demanding the disclosure of the identity of the user known as Julien#2743, as per a report by TorrentFreak which was later picked up by VGC.The user is believed to have posted infringing material on the “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” Discord channel. Nintendo is seeking personal details through the subpoena, including the user’s name, address, telephone number, and email address.
According to TorrentFreak, after the leak of the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom art book in February, Discord received a DMCA takedown notice from Nintendo. Discord promptly removed the infringing content as requested, but sharing the files continued among individual users. In response to Nintendo’s further request to remove the entire channel due to the ongoing sharing of copyrighted material, Discord only issued a warning and advised Nintendo to file a trademark complaint instead. Discord is only willing to comply with legal obligations when dealing with leaks.
At present, it is still being determined whether Discord has shared the personal information of Julien#2743 with Nintendo. Still, it is anticipated that Nintendo will try to locate the individual behind the leak. As per Julien’s statement on Discord, the art book was obtained from a “long-time friend” at Nintendo. However, it is unclear whether the friendship between Julien and the alleged source has been affected by the legal action taken by Nintendo.
Despite the Tears of the Kingdom gameplay preview providing a more informative glimpse of the Breath of the Wild sequel than the leaked art book, Nintendo is widely recognized for being fiercely protective of its intellectual property. Therefore, it is improbable that the company will cease its efforts until it identifies and punishes the person responsible for the leak, with potential consequences that could include imprisonment.
It has come to light that Discord has become an unusual source of data leaks. The US Department of Defense was recently affected by this phenomenon, as confidential documents were leaked from a Minecraft Discord server – a surprising platform for such a breach. The motive behind this is a dispute about the war in Ukraine. The documents were lifted from another Discord server and disseminated across several social media channels, including Telegram, 4Chan, and Twitter. This occurrence serves as a clear and striking reminder of how online activities that may appear harmless can result in severe ramifications when confidential information is involved.
The incident has prompted concerns about the security of Discord servers and the potential for data breaches. Due to the pandemic, there has been a rise in the number of users on Discord, a widely-used communication platform, especially among online communities and gamers. However, as more people use the platform, the risk of data leaks and other security breaches increases. Discord has stated that it takes security very seriously and has implemented measures to prevent unauthorized server access.
The incident also underscores the importance of proper handling of sensitive information. In this case, the documents were accessed and shared by individuals who did not have the necessary clearance to view or disclose them. Organizations must ensure that their sensitive information is adequately secured and that access is limited to authorized personnel only.
In conclusion, the incidents involving Discord as a source of leaks highlight the need for increased vigilance and security measures in online communications.