Saturday, March 29th 2008
Blizzard Sues Michael Donnelly Over his WoW Glider Bot
Blizzard is suing Michael Donnelly, the creator of the MMO Glider program, which performs key tasks in the game automatically, such as fighting and other game actions. Both sides have submitted legal summaries to the US District Court in Arizona. Blizzard says Glide is a software bot which infringes the company's copyright and potentially damages the game. In its legal submission to the court last week, the firm said: "Blizzard's designs expectations are frustrated, and resources are allocated unevenly, when bots are introduced into the WoW universe, because bots spend far more time in-game than an ordinary player would and consume resources the entire time." Blizzard argued that Michael Donnelly's tool also infringed the End User License Agreement that all parties have to adhere to when playing the game. As result Blizzard wants Michael Donnelly to stop selling Glider and return all profits that he made from its sales. More than 100,000 copies of the tool have been sold for the time being. Mr Donnelly says his tool does not infringe Blizzard's copyright because no "copy" of the Warcraft game client software is ever made. The two parties are now awaiting a summary judgement in the case.
Source:
BBC NEWS
72 Comments on Blizzard Sues Michael Donnelly Over his WoW Glider Bot
Stupid ass cheaters ruin games plain and simple. I've never played wow a day in my life, but I do hope blizzard makes this guy give his money back. I can't believe someone is actually making a living off cheating in wow.
Not only that, Glider is making money for Donelly, money that he wouldn't have if WoW did not exist. In other words, he is getting a free ride on top of all the time and money that Blizzard have invested in WoW, and in turn Blizzard gets nothing.
Finally, Glider is a bot - a program designed to allow you to cheat. Anyone who writes something like that is a dumbass; anyone who then goes and charges money for it is an absolute and utter moron.
Donnelly deserves to get beaten down, and hard - this isn't a big-guy-versus-little-guy case, it's right versus wrong, and Blizzard are in the right; not just legally, but because they're trying to eradicate a tool that allows people to cheat.
As a result I think that the government should put an immediate ban on breathing (plants included). Thats obviously the only solution to this respiratory obsession disorder.
And no, blizzard does NOT have a leg to stand on. If they did, they would've been done with this case one and a half years ago, when it started.
I think that they wont be fault on maney to do that.
In the end, this actually has the opposite effect on prices from what you'd think, since more available money in an economy will always lead to higher prices, not lower.
I totally understand Blizzard's concerns and the relevant concerns re: the economy.
But ultimately, I think that if the game was EXCITING to play to begin with (and not the grind-tastic idiotfest it is) there would be no need for bots. As it stands, there are so many mind-numbingly repetitive tasks in the game that I can totally understand the attraction to getting up in the morning to a few hundred gold. Hell, you pay a MONTHLY fee.
The whole idea that this is "cheating" in re: to automating the required repetitive tasks in the context of WOW is stupid.
In any case, blizzard's policy in banning botters is largely a reactive one: you get reported because you're a bad botter? you get the banstick. However, they take economic exploitation much more seriously; if a botter dumps 500 medium leather on the auctionhouse and undercuts everybody else while doing so, he will get banned/suspended for economic exploitation.
Playing Wow occasionally to fill up your free time : Nothing wrong here; you are simply doing something fun when you have nothing else to do. Besides its better than staring at the idiot box watching coronation street or something.
Playing Wow Moderately Not To Interfere with Real Life : So you play wow a couple of hours a day and maybe 3-4 hours on the weekend days. Still no problems here; perhaps you need to find some new activities to fill up your life as well but at least you can accomplish a lot of things in wow and compete with a lot of people.
Playing Wow A lot Filling Up Most of Free time : Okay you are playing wow a bit too much maybe; you really need to get out and do fun things. If your a hardworker and work hard its not so bad.
Playing Wow, Being Unemployed for Long Periods Each Week: So you play wow Semi Hardcore and your just a tier below the most hardcore players. Its important that you are at least getting a lot of fun out of the game or its pointless; but its important to sort our your real life and make sure you spend some time looking for work, etc... You are a bit of loser really.
Playing Wow Totally Unemployed None Stop : Ok your officially a hardcore loser you play Wow all the time and you rarely ever stop. You seriously need to start doing something else and forget about this game for a while; maybe quit altogether at least for a while.
Playing Wow Using Bots and Cheat Programs : I have to say, I really have to say what the hell is the point! You obviously get no fun out of the game and there is no sense of achievement whatsoever. If you dont have time to play wow and be the best then you cant be the best just live with it; I know the hardcore players cant be compete with but thats they way it is they are losers. But you the people who ruin the game for the general populace for free stuff your never earned are the Utter Lowest of the low! I mean the whole point of wow is making progress in different area's and having fun doing it! Whats the point in just arriving at the end game?