Automobilista Currently Removed From Steam

Due to a copyright infringement claim, Reiza Studios was forced to remove their Automobilista Early Access title from the Steam Distribution platform. The source of the copyright claim and the actual content triggering the page removal is still unconfirmed.

While we are not entirely sure, the ongoing problems might be caused by the FOM ( Formula One Group) who are responsible for the promotion of the FIA Formula One World Championship and exploitation of the sport’s commercial rights. The last few weeks the FOM is reported to have been threatening a selection of websites and has sent out cease and desist letters demanding the removal of all the Formula One related mods, and promotion material.

It is a fact that Automobolista contains car models that are visually resembling a selection of older F1 cars. That said, the open wheelers have never been named or logo’d up to become copies of the real F1 machinery. Reiza Studios is surely not the first company releasing creative content that generates a Formula 1 style without openly representing the series. However, it now looks as if the FOM will relentlessly wipe out any game related creative content that remotely smells as Formula One.

However right or wrong this might be, it is a sad day for the sim racing community.

 

Reiza Studios Project manager Renato Simioni has communicated the following text:

The Steam store page for Automobilista has been taken down due to a copyright infringement claim which had been submitted to Valve.

 

As is known, Automobilista packages a variety of officially licensed cars & brands alongside fictionalized, originally created content. The claim in question does not make any specific reference to content present in Automobilista supposedly in infringement of the party´s copyright – until it does, our belief is that it has no merit.

 

We have already taken the appropriate measures to resolve the issue ASAP, but in accordance to Valve´s policy, the process may take a few days to be completed.

 

In the meantime time we will continue to progress with the development of Automobilista, and intend to release another Early Access update shortly. The game is available for purchase as part of our Membership packages from our forum store.

 

Please understand that until the matter is fully resolved, we may not be able to discuss it.

 

Webpage –  www.reizastudios.com