The Société de transport de Montreal is worried that a Counter-Strike map set in one of its subway stations will “create panic” among its users.
Despite its age and popularity, there has apparently never been a Counter-Strike map specifically set in the Great White North. Diego Liatis and some friends thus decided to take the job on themselves, and came up with what appears to be a pretty decent rendition of Montreal’s Berri-UQAM station. But the work has attracted the attention of the city’s transit authority, and not in a good way.
Liatis said he received a letter from the Société de transport de Montreal saying its doesn’t want its “copyrighted metro network” to appear the game and that it will consider legal action against him if the map, which is still in development for Counter-strike: Global Offensive, is released. “[The STM] told me that they feared the game could create panic among the city’s public transit users,” he said.
Liatis requested permission to recreate the station in January, but the STM refused to grant it. He went ahead with the design anyway, because he doesn’t believe he can be legally forbidden from recreating a public space. Frédéric Denis, a programmer on the project, described the situation as “ridiculous” and said that terrorists who want to learn the details of the station’s layout can just go there and ride around on the subway, like he did.
Liatis said the STM threatened him with a $50,000 fine plus court costs if the map is released to the public. An STM representative confirmed that legal action is being considered but would not comment further.
SourceDo you hav: Le Journal de Montreal
Published: Feb 18, 2013 05:39 pm