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Blizzard Sues Creator of WoW Bot
Ponca City, We Love You writes "Blizzard, the makers of World of Warcraft, are suing Michael Donnelly, the creator of the MMO Glider program, which performs key tasks in the game automatically. Blizzard says the software bot infringes the company's copyright and potentially damages the game. '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 wrote in its legal submission to the court. More than 100,000 copies of the tool have been sold while more than 10 million people around the world play Warcraft. 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 judgment in the case."
When you go to an all you can eat buffet you can't buy one plate for your entire extended family, nor can you fill up boxes of food to take home with you. Nor can you feed your pets. Nor can you bring in a giant robot garburetor and stuff endless quantities of food into it.
They sold -YOU- access with the (clearly defined) expectation that -YOU- would be playing.
They didn't sell you X access for you to attach a robot to. They didn't sell you X access for you and everyone you know to use. They didn't sell you X access for you to resell by the hour on ebay.
Like it or not, unlike Comcast's, Blizzards TOS on this point are extremely clear (though largely unenforced).
Read the Blizzard TOS. Its not like they make it hard to find.
That's not to say I agree with suing this guy; but anyone who uses his product deserves to be banned.