@Jaoao,
I have had a very difficult time establishing the best approach to publicly discuss what has happened between Alex Mauer and Imagos Softworks. I have been as measured and responsive as I can without responding to this situation in a rash or defensive manner in social media or when confronted directly.
At this point, however, I feel it is important for me to make this statement; offering some balance to a situation that has been thus far one sided.
In short, Imagos and Alex entered into a for-hire contract for Starr Mazer, Starr Mazer: DSP and a number of other projects.
At some point last year, Alex experienced some medical issues that slowed or halted progress on these items. Imagos fulfilled our side of the agreement in that we paid for the work we received, and in some cases paid in good faith for work that was not received.
Alex left the team officially in the middle of last year citing the aforementioned health issues and a desire to refocus her life.
In Alex's time since leaving the team she has made claims to outstanding pay, the amount of which has fluctuated.
Imagos has made several attempts to broker an amicable deal with Alex, including offering shared universal rights to the DSP soundtrack as well as an equity share of the game's revenue. We have done this in good faith and in understanding of Alex's health concerns.
At one point an agreement was proposed, agreed to, but later dissolved by Alex.
Two weeks ago, Alex issued a DMCA Takedown request to Valve, forcing Starr Mazer: DSP's Early Access release to be temporarily suspended for investigation. Imagos filed a counterclaim and Alex was asked to provide proof of a rights chain violation. She did not do so. Proof of copyright and correct chain of rights has been provided and Starr Mazer: DSP was unsuspended.
Imagos was left with no choice but to seek counsel to protect our team and the interests of we who have poured our hearts and souls into this game.
Alex's claim has shifted radically over time, from not being paid for time worked to not being paid for the right project to the supposition that there was a plot to defraud her from the very beginning of the project to a handful of other versions of this narrative.
The most recent version describes a scenario in which our contract did not include or encompass Starr Mazer: DSP, which is at odds with Alex's base claim that she has not been paid the full amount of her contract for Starr Mazer: DSP.
In the end, the facts at hand are:
- Imagos had an ongoing work for hire agreement with Alex, rendering her paid for work the property of Imagos
- Imagos holds an actual copyright on all material related to Starr Mazer: DSP
- Alex was paid ~36.5k for her work with Imagos
- Imagos has no desire, and has taken no action, to commit rights violations against anyone
And most importantly:
- Imagos has made several attempts to reach a favorable resolution with Alex, both informally and finally by registered letter and communication
Alex has also attempted to release an album on Bandcamp containing the Starr Mazer: DSP tracks along with material suggesting that her fans boycott the game. She had threatened to do so to both Imagos and our publisher, Playism, if her monetary demands were not met.
When met with our extensive log of data refuting Alex's allegations, as well as our registered copyright and DMCA claim, Bandcamp removed this album.
In response to this, Alex has posted the soundtrack to her personal website, with the same inflammatory statements she'd threatened to and eventually released on Bandcamp.
Though it is within our rights to issue a request to her ISP for removal of this soundtrack, I do not feel that this is the correct course of action. I do not intend to fight a grand battle with Alex, and have decided, instead, to release our claim to the music's rights in an effort to ablate the issue and restore some semblance of personal emotional equity.
I have offered, by official letter, to release the rights in exchange for Alex's agreement to remove her disparaging claims. She has declined this option.
The tracks made for Starr Mazer: DSP have been removed from the game and replaced with temporary tracks while our new music partner composes an entirely new soundtrack. My offers to Alex for rights to this music still stand.
It is my desire that this situation be resolved amicably, and it is my sincere hope, as it has always been, that Alex can find some peace and security in her life. I can't purport to understand the gravity or scope of her health concerns and have very likely made missteps because of this, but nothing on the order of false copyright claims, negative acts toward Alex or rights violations.
This has been a personal nightmare. I have been pretty much ended, emotionally, by this scenario. I understand that Alex, as well, is suffering. I have made, and am wholly willing to uphold, numerous documented attempts to resolve this in a manner that enriches Alex for her amazing work and maintains the clear chain of rights established in our well documented working experience.
Starr Mazer: DSP is still in very active development and we have targeted a summer release. As stated in my previous comment, official release date announcements have been complicated due to some complex publisher machinations, but will be announced as soon as I can confidently do so with Playism's support.
Starr Mazer proper is, as well, still in very active development. We have partnered with a Arcade High (
https://arcadehigh.bandcamp.com) for the core composition for both Starr Mazer and Starr Mazer: DSP.
Don Thacker
Starr Commander