March 3, 2026
Cookies crumble, trolls tumble
We've freed Cookie's Bustle from copyright hell
Fans rejoice as the takedown troll gets benched — now they want penalties and answers
TLDR: Ukie paused takedowns on the cult game Cookie’s Bustle after a suspected rights troll couldn’t prove ownership. Commenters cheered, grilled platforms for rubber‑stamping takedowns, and demanded penalties for false DMCA claims, turning a preservation win into a rallying cry against copyright trolling.
The Video Game History Foundation says they’ve “freed” the bizarre cult classic Cookie’s Bustle after UK trade group Ukie suspended DMCA takedowns from alleged rights-squatter Graceware/Brandon White — and the comments exploded. Half the crowd is cheering; the other half is sharpening their pitchforks. People are stunned that a 1999 oddball (you play a 5-year-old New Jersey girl in a sports contest that spirals into space war) triggered years of copyright chaos. One big question: motive. “Why spend all that money to send takedowns?” asks cactusplant7374. VGHF shared packaging scans in their archive and a gameplay video, since they can’t share the full game.
Then the legal nerds kicked down the door. Readers dove into DMCA (a US law letting platforms pull content when someone claims infringement) and even quoted section 512(f), which punishes false claims. One camp says big platforms hide behind “scale” to dodge basic checks; another shrugs, “It’s the safest option.” The spiciest mood? Punish trolls. Cue memes: “Free Cookie,” “DMCA speedrun,” and jokes about studying law for a baby-bear-looking girl in a space diner. The term “orphan work” (no clear owner) got translated as: “Seriously, nobody knows who owns this.” The vibe: celebration with a side of vigilante justice.
Key Points
- •VGHF preserved materials of the 1999 game Cookie’s Bustle and provided a gameplay video for research while avoiding direct distribution of the game.
- •VGHF received repeated DMCA takedown notices via Ukie from Brandon White/Graceware, SL over Cookie’s Bustle materials.
- •VGHF’s legal review found no evidence that Brandon White holds enforceable rights to the game.
- •Ukie suspended DMCA takedowns for Cookie’s Bustle on behalf of Graceware, SL after VGHF presented its findings.
- •Cookie’s Bustle was published in Japan in 1999 by RODIK, Inc.; its rights status is unclear, and VGHF treats it as an orphan work.