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Blizzard Going After WoW Related iPhone Apps

Posted by Soulskill on from the anything-you-can-app-we-can-app-better-in-a-few-years dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Apparently Blizzard is going after developers making iPhone apps for World of Warcraft (free and otherwise) by giving them cease-and-desist orders. As Mike Schramm says 'Blizzard may be planning to do more with the iPhone,' but 'It would be a real shame if Blizzard legal was simply going after fans who have invested a lot of time and effort into these apps even when there's no clear reason for them to do so.'" It's interesting that they're doing so around the same time a video for a (rumored, alleged, unconfirmed — take your pick) iPhone client for World of Warcraft has been floating around.

4 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Dear Blizzard... by narfspoon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...getting distracted with flame wars.

    RIP Tseric

  2. Re:Wow! Way to be behind Slashdot! by narfspoon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Karatechop's story was interesting.

    My favorite e-drama was with Nihilum/SK-Gaming:

    http://serbandsteel.dingblog.com/?loadblog=524&cm=

  3. Re:Nominative use; proceed and permit by mysidia · · Score: 2, Interesting

    When the title is "Warcraft Arena Calculator"

    This implies that the maker endorses it.

    It doesn't say "Arena Calculator", with "Warcraft compatible" in the description.

    It's using the trademark as if it was a Blizzard Warcraft product, and this will definitely cause confusion.

    Blizzard has to defend their mark, or Warcraft might eventually get declared a generic name.

  4. OK so... by JustNiz · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Say I write an app that does not use or distrubute any Blizzard content, nor does it use their API. The app does not use "Warcraft" in the name. It might store, calculate or reproduce information related to Wow that I have originated or collected solely from non-Blizzard sources that have already OK'd my use of it.
    I cannot see how Blizzard can have any legal case to stop me selling my app.
    That would be like McDonalds having a legal right to prevent me from selling my own original hamburger recipe, even though I have never worked for, or signed anything with, McDonalds.