News Blizzard wins anti-bot copyright case

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2009/02/03/bizzard-wins-anti-bot-copyright-case/1

Activision Blizzard has won a copyright case against developers of a auto-farming bot in World of Warcraft.

 

What's this Bizzard you speak of...

 

Although not a WOW player, I don't like the idea of this software bot "cheating".

Take it to another game, how boring would it be if you went for a random L4D game and found yourself playing with 4 computer controlled bots all going for the same achievements and not watching your back.

But....

I'm not sure it really fits a "copyright" judgement.

 

And Blizzard has 1000x the funds to win the case as well.

I don't agree with botting but these days 1-60 is boring.

 

I'm glad the stupid gold farmers got tossed, however I'm not sure I like the wording of that judgement there :-/ ... a bit of a moot point I suppose, as I no longer play the game.

 

bit of a double-edged sword this.

i'm very glad the bot company lost, completely ruins MMO's for legit players.

but using the DCMA to do so? ouch

it's like saving kittens by torturing bunnies or something: good end results but horrible methods

 

I just reported someone for selling gold. After I told them I'd buy gold and made it seem like I was a prospective customer.So good for Blizz.

 

So, blizzard had to go the copyright route to get a court to rule in favour of them? does that mean the eula which states "you are not allowed to bot" that 99% of mmorpgs have is not legally enforcable making botting in fact legal (provided you code your bot in a way that it doesn't create a copy of the game?

 

Thats not right at all. Bots are illegal on one point for breaking the EULA, as proved in a previous case, but are now also breaking copyright law because they interfere with a players experience of the game - something that Blizzard now owns the copyright to.