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2026/07/2026-07-07-wechat.md

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+Before disabling any content in relation to this takedown notice, GitHub
+- contacted the owners of the affected repositories to give them an opportunity to [make changes](https://docs.github.com/en/github/site-policy/dmca-takedown-policy#a-how-does-this-actually-work).
+- provided information on how to [submit a DMCA Counter Notice](https://docs.github.com/en/articles/guide-to-submitting-a-dmca-counter-notice).
+
+To learn about when and why GitHub may process some notices this way, please visit our [README](https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/README.md#anatomy-of-a-takedown-notice).
+
+---
+
+Note: Because the reported network that contained the allegedly infringing content was larger than one hundred (100) repositories, and the submitter alleged that all or most of the forks were infringing to the same extent as the parent repository, GitHub processed the takedown notice against the entire network of 3.2k repositories, inclusive of the parent repository. 
+
+---
+
+[private]  
+[private]  
+[private] Phone [private]
+
+[private]  
+Phone: [private] Fax: [private] Website: WWW.MSK.COM
+
+[private]  
+A LAW PARTNERSHIP INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL CORPORATIONS
+
+[private]
+
+Designated Copyright Agent  
+[private]  
+[private]  
+[private]  
+[private]
+
+Re: Notice of Unlawful Circumvention Activities, 17 U.S.C. § 1201, and Violation of Tencent and GitHub Terms of Service
+
+To Whom It May Concern:
+
+We represent WeChat International Pte. Ltd.; Shenzhen Tencent Computer Systems Company Limited; and Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited (collectively “Tencent”). Tencent is the developer of—and owner of all intellectual property and other rights in and to— the popular messaging and social media platform Weixin, a service provided in mainland China, as well as Weixin’s sister service WeChat, which is provided internationally (together, “WeChat/Weixin”). Tencent’s rights extend, without limitation, to all rights under U.S. and international copyright as well as under the Terms of Service promulgated by Tencent governing use of WeChat/Weixin.
+
+Tencent uses various technological measures to ensure the integrity of data stored and transmitted using WeChat/Weixin, and to protect Tencent’s own intellectual property interests in the database software through which such data is maintained. These include a proprietary database framework, unique key derivation and memory layout implementations, and a proprietary database protocol and design, encompassing table structures, index design, and data organization (hereinafter collectively, the “Protected Database Design”). Although users of WeChat/Weixin software maintain all lawful rights in their own data, the Protected Database Design stores materials in an original, secure format that itself constitutes a copyright-protected database compilation and software work under U.S. and international law. See, e.g., Assessment Techs. of WI, LLC v. WIREdata, Inc., 350 F.3d 640, 643 (7th Cir. 2003) (database software that arranged data into 456 fields and 34 categories was “not so obvious or inevitable as to lack the minimal originality required” for copyright protection, even where underlying data was in the public domain) (quoting Key Publications, Inc. v. Chinatown Today Publishing Enterprises, Inc., 945 F.2d 509, 513–14 (2d Cir. 1991) and citing Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural
+
+[private]
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+It has come to our attention that GitHub is hosting user repositories that unlawfully offer tools for circumventing Tencent’s methods for preventing access to, and reproduction of, the Protected Database Design.
+
+In particular, we identify the following GitHub repository (the “Unlawful Repository”): 
+
+• https://github.com/hicccc77/WeFlow
+
+The Unlawful Repository describes itself as offering “a fully local tool for viewing, analyzing, and exporting WeChat chat history in real time.”
+
+The Unlawful Repository violates Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by using sophisticated techniques to locate and extract Tencent’s encrypted database keys, using this to bypass controls against access to the Protected Database Design. Such techniques violate 17 U.S.C. §§1201(a)(1)(A) and 1201(a)(2), which prohibit unauthorized circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyright-protected works and the trafficking of devices offered for this purpose. They also violate 17 U.S.C. §1201(b)(1), which prohibits trafficking of tools or devices intended for circumventing technological measures protecting the rights of a copyright owner.
+
+In addition to the above, the Unlawful Repository relies upon and induces violation of the WeChat/Weixin Terms of Service, constituting intentional interference with enforceable contracts between Tencent and users of WeChat/Weixin.
+
+For example, the WeChat Terms of Use at wechat.com, together with the Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) incorporated therein, provide, inter alia:
+
+• “You may not copy, modify, create derivative works, reverse compile, reverse engineer or extract source codes from WeChat Software…” (see section “Our Intellectual Property Rights”); • that users “grant other WeChat users a non-exclusive licence to access and use [their] Content within WeChat, in accordance with these Terms and WeChat's functionalities” (id.); and
+
+[private]
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+• that users may not engage in any of the following:  
+o “infringing any of our intellectual property rights (including attempting to reverse engineer any applications or software used to access WeChat)” (AUP at 7.2(a));  
+o “probing or testing the vulnerability of, or otherwise circumventing (or attempting to circumvent) any security features on, WeChat, our systems or the systems of other users” (id. at 7.2(f));  
+o “accessing WeChat, collecting or processing any content made available through WeChat … through the use of any automated bots, software, engines, crawlers, scrapers, data mining tools or the like” (id. at 7.2(b));  
+o “attempting to disrupt or interfere with WeChat Software including manipulating the legitimate operation of WeChat Software” (id. at 7.2(p)); and  
+o “using cheats, exploits, automation software or any unauthorised third-party software designed to modify or interfere with WeChat Software” (id. at 7.2(q)).
+
+The Weixin Terms of Service available at weixin.com prohibit:  
+• “Performing reverse engineering, reverse assembly, reverse compilation on the Software or otherwise attempting to discover the source code of the Software” (§8.2.1.2);  
+• “Copying, modifying, adding, deleting, mounting for operation, or creating any derivative works of data released into any terminal's memory by the Software or during its operation… including but not limited to using plugins, add-ons or third-party tools/services not authorized by Tencent to access the Software and its related systems” (§8.2.1.4);  
+• “Either by yourself or by authorizing others or third-party software or systems, controlling, accessing, retrieving, or interfering with the Software and its components, modules and data, or circumventing or disrupting any security measures or other technical protective measures built into the Software” (§8.2.1.7); and  
+• “Publishing, transmitting, disseminating, or storing content that infringes upon other's reputation rights, portrait rights, intellectual property rights, trade secrets, or other legitimate rights” (§8.1.2.2).
+
+The sole purpose of the Unlawful Repository is to permit unauthorized use of WeChat/Weixin in violation of Tencent’s Terms of Service. Through its offer to the public, the Unlawful Repository induces users to breach their contracts with Tencent, unlawfully interfering with Tencent’s contractual relations and causing damage to Tencent and its users. See Blizzard Entm’t Inc. v. Ceiling Fan Software LLC, 28 F. Supp. 3d 1006, 1015 (C.D. Cal. 2013).
+
+[private]
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+The Unlawful Repository also violates core provisions of GitHub’s Terms of Service (the “GitHub TOS”). According to Section C of the GitHub TOS, “use of the Website and Service must not violate any applicable laws, including copyright or trademark laws, export control or sanctions laws, or other laws in your jurisdiction” (emphasis added). Moreover, according to Sections 2 and 5 of GitHub’s incorporated Acceptable Use Policy, “GitHub does not “allow content or activity … that is unlawful or promotes unlawful activities,” or that “uses our servers to disrupt or to attempt to disrupt, or to gain or to attempt to gain unauthorized access to, any service, device, data, account or network.”
+
+In accordance with the foregoing, Tencent requests expeditious removal of the materials constituting the Unlawful Repository, together with any other known instances thereof, including all related forks, releases, or attachments. Based on the representative number of forks I have reviewed, I believe that all or most of the forks violate 17 U.S.C. §1201 and the above-referenced laws and policies to the same extent as the parent Unlawful Repository. We also request GitHub’s cooperation in taking steps to prevent the re-uploading or storage of similar content by the same or other users, including any other individuals associated with the Unlawful Repository.
+
+I have a good faith belief that use of the unauthorized circumvention activities referenced above are not authorized by the copyright owner, or its agent, or the law. I have considered fair use. Further, under penalty of perjury, I hereby state that the information in this notification is accurate and that MSK is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of exclusive rights under copyright in WeChat/Weixin as implicated by the circumvention activities described herein.
+
+We thank you for your assistance with this matter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail or at the telephone number provided above.
+
+Very truly yours,  
+[private]   
+[private] for  
+[private]  
+[private] [private]