Court Orders X to Reveal Genshin Impact Leakers’ Identities

A California court has ruled that X (formerly Twitter) must disclose the identities of four Genshin Impact leakers to the game’s publisher, Cognosphere. This decision comes after X initially refused to comply with a DMCA subpoena, citing concerns about First Amendment protections.

The ruling, issued last week, requires X to provide Cognosphere with “the name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), and e-mail addresses” of the individuals behind four Twitter accounts: @HutaoLoverGI, @GIHutaoLover, @HutaoLover77, and @FurinaaLover. These accounts are alleged to have shared leaked material related to Genshin Impact.

In its decision, the court determined that the leaked content does not constitute “core First Amendment expression.” The judge also found that Cognosphere had acted in good faith and demonstrated a prima facie case of copyright violation in its subpoena request.

This legal action is part of a broader effort by Cognosphere to combat leakers of Genshin Impact content. In 2021, the company warned it would intensify its efforts to address illegal disclosures after dataminers shared information about an upcoming update. The following year, Cognosphere took legal action against Discord to reveal the identity of a known leaker.

The court’s decision highlights the ongoing tension between protecting intellectual property and preserving online anonymity. As the case progresses, it may set a precedent for how the gaming industry handles similar situations in the future.