TSC Price Checker and LibHarvensAddonSettings add-ons now missing PS5

Twohothardware · February 24

Logged on PS5 this morning and noticed TSC Price Checker and LibHarvensAddonSettings were both removed from the game. LibHarvensAddonSettings is required for a number of add-ons including HarvestMap so those are now also broken. What's going on?

Baertram · February 24

ZOs removed the original thread (by Dolgubon) here, so not sure if we are allowed to comment.
Someone started a DMCA against these libraries and other addons (for whatever reason) and now law mills started to please the process

We do not know any details so you and all others have to wait until it is clarified what can be done, or not.
Addon devs try to find ways to help you guys so the addons at least load, without the settings menus (for the moment).
Check for any addon updates more than usually today, maybe.

Morg08 · February 24

Why is zos deleting threads. This is absolutely an issue and Dev's need to respond.

Baertram · February 24

Stop it please

or this one might be deleted again.
-> It's nothing that ZOs or bethesda can control!

It's an US thing, read about it if you like:
https://copyrightalliance.org/education/copyright-law-explained/the-digital-millennium-copyright-act-dmca/write-dmca-takedown-notice/

ZOs/Bethesda just need to follow the process in time, but cannot do anything about that.
Sad situation, abused by some humans with bad habits as it seems.

And why the thread was removed (only a guess of mine!):
I guess it was because users started to argue what they think was the reason and WHO it was, so just WAIT. Thanks

SummersetCitizen · February 24

Dolgubon wrote: »

LibHarvensAddonSettings (LHAS) has been removed from consoles. As LHAS is a required dependency for 95%(ish) of console add-ons, this means that when it is automatically uninstalled by the game, many addons will no longer be usable. There is unfortunately nothing you can do to prevent this from your end. Some add-ons have had updates which remove the requirement for LHAS. However, you will be unable to modify any settings

In addition to LHAS, LibQRCode and Tamriel Savings Co were also removed.

Note that this may not yet affect all users for various reasons including caches not refreshing.

Also, please do not discuss here why they were removed: this post is meant as a PSA to inform users wondering what happened to their addons, and similar as already been removed.

Twohothardware · February 24

Hopefully ZOS is on top of this. Them removing the library add-on LibHarvensAddonSettings breaks the best addon's we have on console.

SummersetCitizen · February 24

The info posted this to Reddit.

Dolgubon · February 24

SummersetCitizen wrote: »

The author of one of the add-ons posted this to Reddit.

To be clear, that's me who made the post, and I didn't make any of the removed addons.

SummersetCitizen · February 24

Dolgubon wrote: »

SummersetCitizen wrote: »

The author of one of the add-ons posted this to Reddit.

To be clear, that's me who made the post, and I didn't make any of the removed addons.

Thank you! I don’t use Reddit as much and saw the author in the name title wasn’t sure what it meant. I’ll fix it. 😊

ZomZom · February 24

Addons are notoriously unreliable. There is something ZoS can do. Those Addons that provide basic functionality (minimap I’m looking at you) should be built into the game.

Baertram · February 24

ZomZom wrote: »

Addons are notoriously unreliable. There is something ZoS can do. Those Addons that provide basic functionality (minimap I’m looking at you) should be built into the game.

Tell us more please... How would an ingame minimap would be more reliably, waiting weeks for fixes, versus minutes that addons could provide them?

The current situation even could happen with no addons at all (reported game code), so please don't blame the addons for humans being bad.
Thank you

bobdrad · February 24

ZomZom wrote: »

Addons are notoriously unreliable. There is something ZoS can do. Those Addons that provide basic functionality (minimap I’m looking at you) should be built into the game.

I wouldn't call minimap basic (in terms of simple building blocks for add-ons). But something like settings management UI (LHAS) is indeed basic and should have been provided. It's probably the quickest way to mitigate the current situation as well.

Baertram · February 24

t's probably the quickest way to mitigate the current situation as well.

No it is not as it's not about the settings library here, other libs also have been reported (QR code lib e.g.) and other complete addons were reported too.
So in the end it could hit each of the uploaded addons, and each developer

As long as anyone can do that without having to proof their copyright claims are valid in advance -> it will lead to the same result: Addon is removed and addon dev needs to proof the reporter was wrong, including personal data of the addon dev (which then the reporting person might steal and abuse...).
That whole system is just a mess, and always was. Anyone is getting dragged into serious l a w context here (and we talk about a game guys! We do that in our free time, for fun!), without a proper way to protect against it

Twohothardware · February 25

The previously removed add-ons like LibHarvensAddonSettings are back working again.

If you're having trouble go to your Installed Add-Ons page, select the Add-On and choose Reinstall.

Baertram · February 25

Afaik this is not true (at least I do not see any reupload of the addons to Bethesda's website https://mods.bethesda.net/en/elderscrollsonline/all -> sort by newest or recntly updated) and is just happening to some users, like described below:

Anyone who was already subscribed will still have the addons for the time being. My understanding is that if they are not counter claimed they will fully go away eventually

People are likely saying it's "back" because things were misconfigured and that behavior was not working properly until a couple hours ago

Twohothardware · February 25

Baertram wrote: »

Afaik this is not true (at least I do not see any reupload of the addons to Bethesda's website!) and is just happening to some users, like described below:

Anyone who was already subscribed will still have the addons for the time being. My understanding is that if they are not counter claimed they will fully go away eventually

People are likely saying it's "back" because things were misconfigured and that behavior was not working properly until a couple hours ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/elderscrollsonline/comments/1rdsazz/libharvensaddonsettings_is_back_on_console/

Try installing an add-on that requires the Libharvensaddonsettings and it should download it automatically now.

Baertram · February 25

Okay, but as I wrote above the assumption of ZOs was that this won't last and is just something that might break again once there wasn't any counter claim done.
We will see.

Morg08 · February 27

Now Votan's add-ons are gone. DMCA claims are too easy to make and allows 12-year-olds to pretend to be terrorists

Gamer_sa22 · February 27

Morg08 wrote: »

Now Votan's add-ons are gone. DMCA claims are too easy to make and allows 12-year-olds to pretend to be terrorists

He took them down himself as they depend on LHAS, as he dosn't plan to fight the claim, tho they might comeback in the future. tho thats speculation

Morg08 · February 28

GJ Zos

Your communication and transparency has been admirable. As usual lip service and nothing more.

Twohothardware · March 1

ZOS can we get an update on this? We've lost our best add-ons on console and it seems like it was likely for no good reason if these are just fraudulent take down requests.

@ZOS_Kevin

Baertram · March 1

As there are different "officials" involved which take time, I'd say we should not expect any answer soon.

De.Soto · March 2

Noone expected an in-depth legal breakdown of the whole affair. The only thing players were waiting for during the last days was something along the lines of "Don't worry, we're on it and doing our best to resolve it". This simple message would have eased player's concerns and would not have required any extensive consultation with their legal department.

The fact that ZOS didn't even manage to do that clearly shows their level of commitment to their playerbase. All the yapping during the last livestream can be safely discarded by this point. They only ever open up when they are sheltered in a cozy safe space. But as soon as they have to stick their neck out for something/somebody, the ensuing silence is deafening.

FlopsyPrince · March 3

I thought DCMA claims required some proof. Does the law not require proof? Is this just a cop out by those who will take things down without proof? (I am thinking of YouTube here....)

LootAllTheStuff · March 3

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

I thought DCMA claims required some proof. Does the law not require proof? Is this just a cop out by those who will take things down without proof? (I am thinking of YouTube here....)

No. It only requires you to state that you are being honest; the onus is then on the one receiving the strike to provide proof that they are the legitimate owners. It's very much a "guilty until proven innocent" system.

But wait, there's more! To defend against a DMCA claim requires providing PII, which the claimant then gets to see. There have already been instances of people using this as a way to get info to harass folks. I believe at least some of the mod authors are concerned about exactly this scenario, which puts them in a very difficult position.