Recently, a new drama unfolded in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim modding scene. The developers of the Community Shaders project reported that they received a DMCA strike (for copyright infringement).
Allegedly, the complaint was filed by another modder — the creator of ENBSeries, Boris Vorontsov. The situation was brought to attention by the author of the Luma project, who had previously encountered this modder.
Filippo Tarpini believes that Boris is jealous of the popularity of other modders' projects. He recalled how he once asked for the source code of his project, and in response, he was met with a barrage of insults:
Apparently, ENB creator Boris sent a DMCA complaint to new modders making cooler Skyrim mods after the Community Shaders mod surpassed his in popularity (and probably quality). I interacted with [Boris] only once, before I knew about his reputation, and that experience was truly awful. I went to the ENB server to ask if he could release the source code of his ENB for GTA IV so I could update it to support version 1.7, but instead of a simple "sorry, no" answer, he and his cronies started accusing me of being a thief and a lazy *****, and that if I was a real man, I should make my own mod. Then I was kicked out. So this is not surprising…
Filippo Tarpini admits that the ENB mod for Skyrim was revolutionary in its time, but Boris Vorontsov did not share the source code, and over time, open-source projects began to flourish:
ENB was revolutionary in its time, but I suppose its main mistake was that it remained closed source, while all other modding communities, like Community Shaders or my own Luma, thrived on open contributions.
The reason for the DMCA complaint against Community Shaders is not yet clear. Modders are collecting donations to fight for the preservation of the project — its future is currently in question.