Dota 2 player-created item removed by Valve after breaking IP law

By Jeff Dunn

Valve has issued a warning to users about “respecting intellectual property” after discovering that a player-created Dota 2 weapon was copied from the MMO Aion.

Created with Valve’s Steam Workshop, the “Timebreaker” mace was made available after strong community ratings, and ended up being purchased by almost 25,000 users.

Once Valve discovered that the weapon was breaking IP laws, they removed it from the game entirely. Players who bought the mace were given a replacement weapon, while the weapon’s creator has been banned and barred from receiving any money made from the sale of the item.