Square Enix sues Deus Ex demo pirates

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is supposed to launch August 23, and Square Enix wants to make sure it's not making the rounds before then. As spotted by Patent Arcade, the publisher has filed suit against a group of unknown gamers for downloading and distributing an unauthorized demo of the game intended for press previews.

The lawsuit was filed against Does 1-15, with names to be specified later. Although Square Enix didn't know their names at the time the suit was filed last month, the publisher believes they are residents of Italy.

As for how the defendants got their hands on the preview code in the first place, Square Enix said it used Valve's Steam service to distribute the code to press outlets, with the specific magazines and sites being issued redemption codes that would unlock the Deus Ex: Human Revolution demo. However, someone accessed the demo using the code associated with an Italian gaming magazine from an IP address not linked to the periodical. Square Enix believes that person then copied the preview from the Steam server and shared it using a peer-to-peer torrent program.

Square Enix is asking that the defendants, once identified, be held liable "for direct, contributory, and/or vicarious infringement" of its copyrights, as well as financial damages and attorneys' fees.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is set for release August 23. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's latest preview.