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How bnetd Developers Reverse Engineered Battle.net

Posted by timothy on from the looked-at-the-label dept.

battlebot writes: "O'Reilly's ONlamp.com is running an interview with the bnetd developers that goes into great detail about how exactly they reverse-engineered Battle.net. This is by the same guy who wrote the recent Salon article, though is far more technical. They talk a little bit about their legal troubles too, and even sheepishly admit that perhaps talking to a lawyer earlier in the process would have been a good idea. Has this project been successfully squashed?"

5 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. Consulting an attorney earlier... by sterno · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If we assume for the moment that they had thought of consulting an attorney when they first embarked on this project, would it have made a difference? I mean, seeing as the DMCA didn't actually exist in '98, how could they have made some plan to defend themselves against prosecution under it. As for the straight up copyright issues, it's total hogwash, but at least they could have gotten the lawyerly advice of, "well they haven't got jack on you, but can you afford to fight it?"

    I was thinking about this earlier, and the really frustrating thing is how much of computer related tinkering seems to need to be run by a lawyer. I mean if you have a hobby like building kit cars, or constructing furniture, you have no need for attorneys. But if you want to get deeply involved in tinkering with software, etc, you suddenly need a law degree. Companies talk a lot about the damage that piracy has on the software economy, but I have to wonder how much more damage has been caused by the chilling effect on independent developers by this legal morass we call intellectual property.

    --
    This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
    1. Re:Consulting an attorney earlier... by markb · · Score: 5, Informative
      If we assume for the moment that they had thought of consulting an attorney when they first embarked on this project, would it have made a difference?

      Well, I did seek some legal device back in 1998, when I receive a cease and desist letter from the Software Publishers Association. The letter (well email, actually) came less than 12 hours after I published bnetd 0.1.

      The lawyer was from the Student Legal Services office at my university, and didn't know much about IP law, but I did seek legal advice early on. :)

  2. blizzard's suing the wrong group by Frizzled · · Score: 5, Interesting

    warforge has been the team working on a warcraft 3 server (which caused all the problems with blizzard). they started with bnetd's code, but now the projects are basically separate.

    shame blizzard didn't do some research before turning the lawyers lose. even if they get an injunction against bnetd, they'll be shutting down the wrong group.

    _f

  3. They'll never get another dollar from me. by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have legimate copies of every game/expansion pack they've ever produced, on up to Diablo II. Full retail price, too, not bargain bin or second hand. They _were_ the one company that you could be sure I would buy a game from, maybe not the day it was released, but I'd get it eventually.

    As I remember it, this news hit the very day that I couldn't hold out any longer for D2. Strangely, I'd never heard of bnetd until then. Being able to play on a server I could control though, would only have encouraged me even more, to buy their games. I had only played Diablo I on Battlenet once or twice, and not been at all happy... nice idea, but too many assholes. To think that I could fix that problem without extending several dozen ipxtunnels, etc... that is kickass.

    They should have hired these guys, not sued them. That would have been a cheaper way to stall bnetd, they would have gotten more for their money, and they wouldn't have pissed people like me off.

    Fuck you, Blizzard.

    To everyone on the bnetd team, keep kicking ass, and the best of luck to you.

  4. Re:underground programming. by Seth+Finkelstein · · Score: 5, Interesting
    All the benefits of the open source would still remain if the lead developers remained anonymous (except maybe for ego purposes)

    It is EXTREMELY stressful to be an anonymous developer for legal-risky work. Let me tell you, I know.

    As Jon Johansen said, in an old interview about DeCSS:
    (emphasis added)

    http://www.linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-2000-01/lw -01-dvd-interview.html

    Jon Johansen: I'm 16 now, I was 15 when it happened ... and the encryption code wasn't in fact written by me, but written by the German member. There seems to be a bit of confusion about that part.

    LinuxWorld: The other two people that you had worked with to make the player are remaining anonymous -- is that right?

    Jon Johansen: Yes, that is correct.

    ...

    LinuxWorld: Do you know why they want to remain anonymous?

    Jon Johansen: They are both a lot older than me, and they are employed. So I guess they just didn't want the publicity, and they were perhaps afraid of getting fired.

    Sig: What Happened To The Censorware Project (censorware.org)