Hello everyone!
I've been quite silent for the past few days and wanted to give you an update on what happened. You may have noticed that the game's name has changed from 'Shadows of Deception' to 'Echoes of Deception.'
A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to a DMCA notice from Patreon. Initially, I thought someone who disliked the game had issued it. After some investigation, I found out the individual responsible. He made a post here couple of days before he sent the notice:
https://f95zone.to/threads/shadows-of-the-nights-v0-02-drdougdoesdos.36845/post-12576110
This person claimed that I was infringing on his work because he used the word 'Shadow' in his game before me. Both games revolve around the life of a female detective. However, this claim isn't a solid basis for a copyright claim. If the matter were to go to court, the outcome would likely not favor him. I attempted to resolve the issue amicably, but he ignored my attempts. Subsequently, I consulted a lawyer and informed him that I would take legal action. Despite my notice, his response was not favorable. So, we sent him a counter notice.
Patreon removed the DMCA notice from my account and informed him that he would need to go to federal court and present his case from there.
Later, he reached out to me through Patreon support, to resolve the matter amicably and requesting that I change the title. My lawyer wants to take the case to court as he believes the odds are in our favor.
Pursuing legal action against someone in a different country would involve high costs and could take months or years. To avoid that, I've decided to change the title and be done with it. If he persists, I won't hesitate though.
To my understanding, in cases like these, Patreon only acts as a messenger and does not take sides, even if they are aware of who is right or wrong. We have to follow the legal route and keep them in the loop. I wish there were simpler ways to handle baseless claims like this.
This change in title won't affect the development of the game. The next update will be slightly delayed because I've spent nearly two weeks dealing with this issue. I apologize for the delay and thank everyone for the support.