A California court has recently ruled that X, formerly known as Twitter, must disclose the identities of four individuals who leaked unreleased material from the popular game Genshin Impact to publisher Cognosphere. This decision comes after Cognosphere obtained a DMCA subpoena to reveal the identities behind four X accounts that were allegedly involved in the leak.

X initially refused to comply with the subpoena, arguing that it required more than a DMCA subpoena to take action and requested a court ruling to determine if the claim satisfied First Amendment free speech safeguards applicable to the anonymous speakers.

However, the court ruled in favor of Cognosphere, stating that the leaked material did not constitute “core First Amendment expression” and that Cognosphere had shown a prima facie case of copyright violation. As a result, X’s request to quash the DMCA subpoena was denied, and it is now required to comply with the request. Details such as “the name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), and e-mail addresses” of the individuals behind the accounts: @HutaoLoverGI, @GIHutaoLover, @HutaoLover77, and @FurinaaLover.

This legal battle is not the first time Cognosphere has taken aggressive steps to uncover the identities of Genshin Impact leakers on social media platforms. In the past, the company warned of increasing efforts to deal with illegal disclosures and even filed a lawsuit against Discord to reveal the identity of a leaker.

The court’s decision underscores the ongoing conflict between protecting intellectual property and preserving online anonymity. As this case unfolds, it may establish a precedent for how the gaming industry addresses similar situations in the future.