Blizzard Gets DMCA Smackdown From Sony

tdye writes: "Blizzard has apparently released an internal memo banning P2P software inside the company. They've been served by Sony with a DMCA note, based on rampant music sharing inside Blizzard. I guess what goes around, comes around! You can see it on Declan McCullagh's PoliTech website."

Comments

Okay..

[Sc00ter]

Should Blizzard have tried to kill off bnetd? No.

Should Sony have sent a C&D to Blizzard? Perhaps.

It is okay to share music with your friends? Sure.

Is a P2P network a group of your "friends"? Probably not.

Is bringing MP3s to work okay? Sure, why not.

Is using company time and bandwidth to download and search for MP3s on a P2P network a good idea? uhh, NO, you're at work!

Re:Okay..

[Dr Caleb]

Two points right back at you:

1) Look busy if you want to. Just get your work done on time. Doesn't matter to me.

2) Control freak manglers like me have other reasons to ban such things other than "Lets screw the peons because we are evil and we can [insert evil laugh here]". Security, and legal come to mind.

Search KaAzA or Limewire for "resume.doc" or "budget.xls" or "SuicideNote.doc" and see what you get. Most users are dumb and don't know how configure such things. Most VP's are so stunned they can't find their serial port with a map and 3 Sherpa guides, so I don't want them sharing the company's Next-Big-Thing(TM)secrets to the world. So I treat them as such and say a blanket *NO* p2p. Period. They want music, bring CD's or turn on a radio.

As for the legal issues...let's not get into that here. Been done to death.

For all who are glad

[antistuff]

It seems many of you think this is a good thing because of thier atacking the bnetd project. You all really couldnt be more hypocritical. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Blizzards actions may have been wrong, but so are sonys (arguably). If you are going to condem one instance of it, you should condenm every single action taken by a corporation that tries to limit the freedom of others to protect thier profits. To do otherwise makes you look very dumb.

Your enemy's enemny is not your friend if both are your enemy.

MP3s are perfectly legal

[coyote-san]

Quit feeding the trolls. MP3 files are perfectly legal - the MP3 I rip for my personal use to avoid scratching the original disc are no more illegal than the tapes I dub so I can listen to the same songs in my car. The RIAA lawyers may play dumb, but this is clearly covered as fair use.

What's illegal, maybe, is sharing those MP3 with others in your office. Or it may be legal as well - fundamentally no different than people playing their own personal CDs in a community player. This wouldn't be legal in a "commercial establishment," but the latter refers to businesses open the public such as bars and restaurants, not offices.