Activision Wants Reddit To ID User Who Leaked 'Call Of Duty' Image

Activision, the company behind the massively popular game franchise Call of Duty, wants social platform Reddit to turn over details on the identity of one of its users who allegedly leaked a Modern Warefare image before the game was released. According to a Digital Millennium Copyright Act subpoena from Activision directed at Reddit, this user 'posted infringing Activision content' on the Modern Warfare subreddit.

The subpoena was recently viewed by The Hollywood Reporter, which states that Activision wants Reddit to 'identify alleged infringers.' The issue revolves around the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game was released in the second half of 2019. Ahead of that release came a leaked image posted on the Modern Warfare subreddit.

The DMCA subpoena alleges that Reddit user 'Assyrian2410' shared the image with the claim that they found it online. The link to the infringing post included in the subpoena has since been deleted, according to the report. The subpoena was filed in the Northern District Court of California on February 14.

The end goal of the subpoena, assuming Reddit complies, is the identity of the user who allegedly leaked the information so that Activision can pursue legal action against them. Reddit, under the DMCA, cannot be held liable for any infringing content its users may post on its website, though it is obligated to the content down upon request.

It's unclear at this time whether Reddit will provide the information to Activision — and, of course, whether Activision will be able to identify the user. If the Redditor had only ever used their account while behind a VPN or on a public wireless network, it won't be possible for the company to narrow down who posted the image.