Blizzard Seeks to Block User Rights, Privacy

An anonymous reader writes "In the overlooked case between Blizzard and MDY Industries, the creator of the WoWGlider bot, Blizzard is arguing that using any programs in conjunction with the World of Warcraft constitutes copyright violation. Apparently accessing the copy of the game client in RAM using another program infringes upon their rights. Under that logic, users do not even have the right to use anti-virus software in the event that the game becomes infected. Furthermore, Blizzard's legal filings downplay the role of their Warden software, which actively scans users' RAM, CPU, and storage devices (and potentially sensitive data) and sends information back to Blizzard to be processed."

Comments

Looks great but

[BeoCluster]

Can I make a Beowulf Cluster of WoW bots to create an army of fake chinese farmers ?

A chilling effect?

[Suzumushi]

Apparently accessing the copy of the game client in RAM using another program infringes upon their rights. Also known as the Blizzard chilling effect.

Shooting their own foot...

[Alpha232]

If Blizzard wants to claim that reading the memory used by the application is a violation of their copyright, so be it... Then watch the mudslide of people who have written mods and go after Blizzard for their Warden application which, guess what.. reads the memory of other applications and whats more, sends it off to blizzard which is a more direct violation of copyright as they are making a copy rather than just changing some bits in memory.

Re:Noone bothers to see what Warden Does

[Anonymous Coward]

070A3B2AF0070DE30B1931B9F2590510
  ---                       --
  0A3 = Beastiality         05 = Washington State

I believe sir, that you may be in violation of the law?

Re:It's simple

[AcidLacedPenguiN]

okay the chess example is better.

I think you read me as a blizzard fanboy, which is not the case. This would be my mentality for any online game, and especially online games where this form of cheating can be a way to make money. If people want to cheat in a single player game, (or in a multiplayer game where everyone has agreed to allowing the cheats) its fine with me. I always maintain that if I meet a cheater I will destroy them, and their computer. I look forward to the day that I bludgeon someone to within an inch of their life's end with their own aimbot laden PC.