Report, edit, etc...Posted by Yoshi da Sniper on 2005-09-03 at 15:10:36
An interesting news article I saw. It doesn't really apply for this website, but it's an interesting read anyway.
Source: zdnet
QUOTE
A federal appeals court has ruled that computer programmers do not have the right to reverse-engineer Blizzard Entertainment's video games to improve their playability.
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled Thursday that federal law--specifically, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act--disallows players from altering Blizzard games to link with servers other than the company's official Battle.net site.
Affected games published by Blizzard, a division of Vivendi Universal, include titles in its "Diablo," "Starcraft" and "Warcraft" lines.
In a 3-0 decision, the court upheld a trial judge's ruling from October, concluding the programmers' "circumvention in this case constitutes infringement."
The DMCA broadly restricts circumventing, or bypassing, antipiracy measures. Blizzard had included such measures to tie its games to the Battle.net site and detect pirated copies.
The defendants in the case, Ross Combs and Rob Crittenden, reverse-engineered the Blizzard protocol using tools like "tcpdump" to listen to the software's communications with a game server. Eventually, their "bnetd" project let Blizzard games connect with unofficial servers, yielding benefits like faster response times.
The 8th Circuit also cited a contractual agreement that Combs and Crittenden OK'd when installing Blizzard software. That agreement prohibits reverse-engineering.
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled Thursday that federal law--specifically, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act--disallows players from altering Blizzard games to link with servers other than the company's official Battle.net site.
Affected games published by Blizzard, a division of Vivendi Universal, include titles in its "Diablo," "Starcraft" and "Warcraft" lines.
In a 3-0 decision, the court upheld a trial judge's ruling from October, concluding the programmers' "circumvention in this case constitutes infringement."
The DMCA broadly restricts circumventing, or bypassing, antipiracy measures. Blizzard had included such measures to tie its games to the Battle.net site and detect pirated copies.
The defendants in the case, Ross Combs and Rob Crittenden, reverse-engineered the Blizzard protocol using tools like "tcpdump" to listen to the software's communications with a game server. Eventually, their "bnetd" project let Blizzard games connect with unofficial servers, yielding benefits like faster response times.
The 8th Circuit also cited a contractual agreement that Combs and Crittenden OK'd when installing Blizzard software. That agreement prohibits reverse-engineering.
Source: zdnet
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Disruptive_Idiot on 2005-09-03 at 15:16:03
This doesn't bode well for PGTour does it? Their network is now stamped as illegal.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by TheOddAngel on 2005-09-03 at 15:16:53
Ouch... PGTour just got owned!!!
They better get their server down ASAP
They better get their server down ASAP
Report, edit, etc...Posted by The_Shattered_moose on 2005-09-03 at 15:18:46
Or they could just ignore it, I really don't understand why blizzard cares wether or not people use battle.net, after all, they pay less for the servers if fewer people use them, if anything, it seems they should be applauding those who have created independant servers, not sueing them.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Yoshi da Sniper on 2005-09-03 at 15:26:43
Because theres no cd key checks for emulated servers.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by scwizard on 2005-09-03 at 15:34:57
PGTour = 
Much of the stuff we do is "revese enginering" (it's how DK discovered EUDs). But I don't think that's what blizzard had in mind.
The main reason blizzard did legal action, is becuase they were afriad people would make pirate WoW servers. Costing them quite a lot of money.
Much of the stuff we do is "revese enginering" (it's how DK discovered EUDs). But I don't think that's what blizzard had in mind.
The main reason blizzard did legal action, is becuase they were afriad people would make pirate WoW servers. Costing them quite a lot of money.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by yeow on 2005-09-03 at 15:36:16
Now they don't have the right. I'll bet more will just show up because so many people get highs of off doing illegal things..
Report, edit, etc...Posted by chuiu on 2005-09-03 at 15:45:12
QUOTE
Eventually, their "bnetd" project let Blizzard games connect with unofficial servers, yielding benefits like faster response times.
What? They showed Blizzard up with better servers? Good god, someone throw a lawsuit on them! Wait, GJ Blizzard! Keep killing your fan base!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Felagund on 2005-09-03 at 16:08:01
Really, what the Hell are they smoking anymore?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Syphon on 2005-09-03 at 16:09:32
QUOTE(chuOS @ Sep 3 2005, 01:45 PM)
What? They showed Blizzard up with better servers? Good god, someone throw a lawsuit on them! Wait, GJ Blizzard! Keep killing your fan base!
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Nicely said
Anywho... I think they have every right to have won this law suit and frankly I'd be quite surprised if they didn't.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by yeow on 2005-09-03 at 16:20:59
I kinda agree with them about the pirate WoW servers.. but Battle.NeT?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Caboose on 2005-09-03 at 16:29:10
Pirate WoW servers are teh blam! They kickass!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by SuperToast on 2005-09-03 at 16:35:17
They care about WoW, starcraft is a small fish compared to that.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by l2k-Warrior on 2005-09-03 at 16:57:20
gg no re
Though I've never had a problem using b.net and actually enjoy it compared to other multiplayer games
Though I've never had a problem using b.net and actually enjoy it compared to other multiplayer games
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Chef on 2005-09-03 at 17:13:20
http://sc.gosugamers.net/news.php?id=3025 <-- Quick rundown of the situation by Entropy.
PGTour is run by Canadians, it'll be awhile before Blizzard takes down servers outside their own country. I don't think Pat is going to shut it down, but he might know things I don't. Anyone who's played PGTour competetivly is going to want to punch you in the face for saying that. Seriously, don't be a such a wonderful friend.
QUOTE(Some jerk who doesn't know what he's talking about)
Ouch... PGTour just got owned!!!
They better get their server down ASAP
They better get their server down ASAP
QUOTE(Entropy)
A blind eye for PGTour it will be, until they give us a working ladder. Then there will be no mercy.
PGTour is run by Canadians, it'll be awhile before Blizzard takes down servers outside their own country. I don't think Pat is going to shut it down, but he might know things I don't. Anyone who's played PGTour competetivly is going to want to punch you in the face for saying that. Seriously, don't be a such a wonderful friend.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by scwizard on 2005-09-03 at 17:25:11
How many letters did you use to type out wonderful friend?
did you use 16 (counting the space) or did you use seven?.
Canada pwns!
Lets all hold hands and sing the Canadian national anthem like on the Simpsons.
EDIT: Cool! I just realized that if Blizzard ever gets on the wrong side of SEN, they'll have trouble dealing with Yoshi's Candianess.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Chef on 2005-09-03 at 17:33:42
I used 8 counting a space ;D I hate when Americans sing the Canadian national anthem... so much.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Grouty on 2005-09-03 at 18:00:40
im just glad that pgt and game-i are run out of the country because our rulings do not apply to them, and im pretty sure they never will.
so game on.
anyways if blizzard wanted to be a good bunch of people they would have a bnetx type launcher for antihacking
so game on.
anyways if blizzard wanted to be a good bunch of people they would have a bnetx type launcher for antihacking
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Gigins on 2005-09-03 at 18:01:19
I say what ever.
I say who cares about federal law.
I say screw this court and screw blizzard.
I say they can win as much courts as they want and that will shut down at most 2% of B.net emulators. Kenga will never fall.
I say who cares about federal law.
I say screw this court and screw blizzard.
I say they can win as much courts as they want and that will shut down at most 2% of B.net emulators. Kenga will never fall.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Mini Moose 2707 on 2005-09-03 at 18:09:25
Additional servers? Who gives a crap? Less resources you're wasting.
Hacking, no. Using such tools to create hacks and such, that's where I think that the court was right.
Hacking, no. Using such tools to create hacks and such, that's where I think that the court was right.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Deathknight on 2005-09-03 at 18:48:22
QUOTE
(it's how DK discovered EUDs)
No.
QUOTE
PGTour is run by Canadians
Woot!
Well, it's Blizzard's game and they have their rights. Blizzard is just saying that it's their game, not ours.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by TERRAINFIGHTER on 2005-09-03 at 18:50:04
Does this mean that you cannot create mods now or you just cant link them to other servers 
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MapUnprotector on 2005-09-03 at 19:16:49
QUOTE(chuOS @ Sep 3 2005, 03:45 PM)
What? They showed Blizzard up with better servers? Good god, someone throw a lawsuit on them! Wait, GJ Blizzard! Keep killing your fan base!
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That's not the point of Blizzard suing the servers. I don't think it matters whether or not the third party servers are better or not, it's doesn't have to do with what they are doing would cost Blizzard money or whatever.
And anyway the court ruled people can't reverse engineer Blizzard games, which is a bad thing to do anyway.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Infested-Jerk on 2005-09-03 at 19:35:33
Forget WOW, this is a SC site, so:
YOU BLIZZARD
I need to go back to anger management....
YOU BLIZZARDI need to go back to anger management....
Report, edit, etc...Posted by BeeR_KeG on 2005-09-03 at 21:01:41
I'll have to agree with Blizzard. Blizzard needs to have control over their games by having them played on their B.net servers. This way they can support users much easier and patch problems much faster and correctly.
And having your own public WoW server is illegal.
Read the terms of Agreement, ANYTHING that doesn't comply with those terms is illegal. Blizzard doesn't put those terms because they want to, it's because they went to a lawyer and court and made their copyrights.
And having your own public WoW server is illegal.
Read the terms of Agreement, ANYTHING that doesn't comply with those terms is illegal. Blizzard doesn't put those terms because they want to, it's because they went to a lawyer and court and made their copyrights.