In a decisive move to protect its intellectual property, video game publishing giant Take-Two Interactive has successfully removed an unofficial, browser-based version of the classic game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City from the internet. The company, which owns Rockstar Games and the GTA franchise, issued a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice against the online platform DOS Zone, which was hosting the game.
The DMCA Crackdown on DOS Zone
According to reports, DOS Zone allowed users to run a version of GTA Vice City directly in their web browsers. This prompted a legal notice from Ebrand, a global brand protection firm acting on behalf of Take-Two. The notice demanded the immediate removal of all content related to the game from the website.
The email from Ebrand, as cited in a Tom's Hardware report, stated that the website was "hosting and promoting a browser-based project" using the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City name. It further accused the site of inviting users to input data from original game copies to unlock functionality, which "facilitates unauthorised use of copyrighted game content."
The letter clarified that despite any disclaimers on the site, the project was not authorised, licensed, or endorsed by Take-Two or Rockstar Games. It concluded that the use of trademarks and copyrighted materials was misleading and constituted clear infringement.
Why Take-Two is Aggressively Protecting a 20-Year-Old Game
This legal action might seem extreme for a game originally released in 2002, but there are strong commercial and legal reasons behind it. Crucially, GTA Vice City is still actively sold by Take-Two on modern platforms including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.
Furthermore, the copyright protection for the title is exceptionally long. For work-for-hire video games like GTA Vice City, copyright can last for 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter. This means the game will not enter the public domain until around 2097, as per analysis from Strebeck Law.
The Aftermath and the Open-Source Loophole
While Take-Two's DMCA request successfully forced DOS Zone to remove the game, it has not completely eradicated similar projects. At the time of writing, three reverse-engineered "open-source" versions of the game remain available on the software development platform GitHub. One of these appears to be a copy of the code used on DOS Zone.
These repositories have not yet been targeted by a DMCA notice. However, if Take-Two decides to pursue them, Microsoft (which owns GitHub) would likely comply and take them down to maintain its "safe harbour" legal protections.
This incident underscores Take-Two's reputation for vigorously defending its properties against unauthorised ports, mods, and remakes. While not as litigious as Nintendo, the company maintains a firm stance. This protectionist strategy is in full force as the industry anticipates the release of GTA VI, currently expected in November 2026.
The situation also highlights a missed opportunity, with fans suggesting that an official, browser-accessible version of the GTA trilogy could satisfy demand. For now, players seeking the classic Vice City experience will have to purchase it through official channels or wait nearly 75 years for it to become public property.
