'World of Starcraft' mod Zerg rushed by Blizzard lawyers

by Griffin McElroy on Jan 19th 2011 7:00PM

Apparently, that crack we made about Blizzard's mighty cease-and-desist hammer in yesterday's post about the World of StarCraft mod project (which uses StarCraft 2 tools to attempt to create a standalone MMO) was a tad prophetic. Though the developer hasn't actually slapped the team with the dreaded C&D (yet), it did petition YouTube to have the mod's demo videos removed, citing a copyright violation.

It's unclear what further action Blizzard will take, but it would be irresponsible to assume that its actions are indicative of the existence of a real World of StarCraft game. It's entirely possible that the company simply wants to protect its "StarCraft" name, or reserve the title for possible future use -- though it would be a shame if their squatting ended up shutting down these modders' impressive efforts. Especially after they asked so nicely for permission.

Via: Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Source: World of StarCraft forums

Tags: activision, blizzard, copyright-infringement, mmo, mod, pc, Starcraft-2, world-of-starcraft, World-of-Warcraft

Reader Comments (41)

Galaxy (or Universe) of StarCraft always sounded better to me.

@Infocynic Koprulu Sector of Starcraft just doesn't have the same ring

o noes modders use supplied official mod tools to make a mod! that's bad!

@Shig

Blizzard Entertainment: We protect our multi-billion dollar intellectual properties whether 13 year olds on internet forums like it or not.

How are starcraft mods utilized and played? Do they all just show up in custom games like they used to in Warcraft 3? Because if that's the case and they weren't even going to host this on a site or something, taking down the youtube video seems a little extreme

LAW SUIT KEKEKEKE
Seriously though, that's a shame.

That's really odd. If the modders created the mod using the tools that Blizzard gave to owners of the game, what legal justification could Blizzard give if they decided to try and issue a C&D?

@Trojan
Blizzard likely has the name "World of Starcraft".

Guarentee you this is some moron lawyer overreacting/not knowing wtf he's doing. Blizzard provides the mapping tools for a damn reason, and this is it. I guarentee Blizzard itself had no problem with the project.

@Warlock

Blizzard maybe wouldn't, but this sounds 100% like their owners Activisions dirty work.

@U U D D L R L R B A SELECT START

Yeah, I wouldn't put it past Activision (and I wouldn't put it past them to be really stupid like that either). I mean, the only way I could see Blizzard legitamently wanting to sue this guy would be if his mod was doing something that breaks the EULA (like he was hacking the game somehow, or otherwise not doing things that are naturally allowed by the tools). Given that's very unlikely though, yeah, I claim trigger-happy lawyer.

Brings up an interesting point though because this seems like exactly the kind of thing they want their map tools to be used for. That's why they made them so powerful and implemented the whole publishing thing and in the future, a marketplace for map makers to sell maps. I kind of have Blizzard proper is actually a little pissed over whoever did this because it undermines all that.

@Warlock I actually don't think this is that bad of an idea for them to take these precautions especially after what happened with DotA. They likely saw the potential for how this could in the end be money for the creator down the road and blizz has made it clear they don't want others making money from using their tools (account selling in WoW for example)

@isOmetriC
Huh? Then why are they implementing a marketplace so map makers and modders can sell their maps and "make money from their tools"? I think they are extremely pleased with DotA, to the point they are making a version of it themselves. The only thing they've said they are disappointed with is the fact that Valve tried to trademark it (esp. when Valve didn't really have anything to do with DotA), when Blizzard believed it should belong to the whole community.

@Warlock

And I "gahrunty" that you have no clue what you're talking about. Of course, the fact that you can't string together a coherent post already implies that quite strongly.

@Warlock

"Legitamently"? You've got to be kidding me. Don't use the big boy words unless you know how to spell them, and/or what they mean, or else you'll just end up looking like a moron.

Wait, did I say looking like a moron? I meant revealing that you are a moron.

Read the description of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yd7TGEUdHM

Blizzard has no right to do this, and the video does not violate what is covered in their video policy page.

I need to build a bigger angry dome. I need the extra room for WTFBS like this.

Every time Kotick crushes a creative game developers soul, an angel gets its wings.

@U U D D L R L R B A SELECT START
Then he just deep fries the angel for lunch.

Feel free to modify StarCraft II with our tools...

...just don't make something cooler than what we made or we'll sue your ass!

I hate that Blizzard is owned by Activision.

I can't wait till youtube is just a bunch of VIDEO HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN DUE TO COPYRIGHT VIOLATIONS messages.

@SpiderPrime

It already is.

@This Little Man Says His Name Is What a depressing little system we live in.

It's sad that the fans of such a scummy company are so talented. And before anyone says 'Not Blizz, it's Activision!', Blizzard merged with them, they willingly did this, they weren't bought out. They took on the good and the bad.

@Cleric Bzzt! Incorrect. Blizzard's parent company Vivendi (as in, Vivendi Universal) bought a controlling share in Activision Publishing, and merged its Vivendi Games division with Activision to create Activision Blizzard.

Whine to whoever's at the head of Vivendi, not Mike Morhaime.

Has this been verified that it's actually Blizzard? I haven't been able to find any word of a C&D(only sites jumping to conclusions), only that his youtube vids were yanked. There was some earlier discussion on whether it was a copyright troll.

Until Ryan tells us exactly if Blizzard is involved or not, I'd keep the justifications/legal discussion down.

@Kilana It says they were taken down by a request from "Activision Games, Inc." I know some other people were suspicious because there isn't really any "Activision Games, Inc." There's "Activision-Blizzard," and "Activision Publishing," or "Blizzard Entertainment."

I'm a bit suspicious too, honestly.

Nothing shocks me from Activision/Blizzard. I refuse to buy anything from them for these kind of stupid things they do. What truly sucks, is that the mindless consumers will still fork out the cash to support Activision/Blizzard treating gamers like crap.

gg

I can't believe this. The modder did nothing wrong and Blizzard reacts like this when he used the tools that Blizzard provided for everyone to mod SCII with. This is not the Blizzard I once knew and it's sad.

Depending on how this goes, I might not buy any more Blizzard titles and that is a painful thought.

Sounds mor elike something Activisions lawyers would do without even consulting the Blizzard team. I don't really think Blizzard would want the bad press of handling this issue in this way.

noooooo dont do it!!! i wanna at least try this game :(

And the Evil Empire strikes again. This really does sound like an Activision move... their lawyers must be paid in accordance to how many C&D's or Copyright Infringement Notices they get out...

Sucks to be Blizzard though. They get the pleasure of taking the heat for this, and this undermines the whole modding motiff that Blizzard has embraced by releasing such powerful modding tools.

WTF...it is a mod, using BLIZZARD own damn engine...wth is with a C&D?!??! This is nonsense!

C'mon guys think about this for more than 5 minutes, I know people that saw this video and assumed it was Blizzard's own creation and then badmouthed them for making a terrible looking game.

That is why they ask for this stuff to stop, they are protecting their public image.

If they really wanted to be jerks they would have sued them for infringing on IP's (which they if course can, just because they provide the tools doesn't mean you can do anything you want, there are rules)

Don't be dense, guys. You can use the tools to eff around and make your own levels. But when you try to make something called World of Starcraft, you shouldn't be surprised when lawyers come knocking.

These always turn out the same. The modders of something like this start asking for donations and a bunch of other mumbo jumbo. They're lucky the lawyers came fast and didn't break everyone's hearts later.

If they're so smart, they should make a game from scratch. Oh, that's right, no one cares if they make a game from scratch unless they leverage a community created by the years of work by another group of people. Jesus.

It seems Blizzard's mad 'cause Ryan's stylin' on them.

Ryan and his team are obviously talented. When he eventually gets his dream job and helps create the best game of the decade, he'll understand why ATVI/Bliz was mad when another group of modders tries the same thing using the name and spirit of his own creation.

Look a bit further past your monitors, people.

If this were a valve game being modded valve would hunt this person down and demand they be given paychecks.

all they have to do is change the name to not say "StarCraft" everything else they have done is legal.

WTB World of Murlocs

StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty

'World of Starcraft' mod Zerg rushed by Blizzard lawyers

Reader Comments (41)

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:11PM Infocynic said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:14PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:12PM lSpam said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 8:18PM Invigilator said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:14PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:14PM Unreal Armos said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:15PM Trojan said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 10:37PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:17PM Warlock said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:21PM U U D D L R L R B A SELECT START said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:36PM Warlock said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 8:31PM isOmetriC said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 12:09AM Warlock said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 8:19PM Invigilator said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 8:21PM Invigilator said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:19PM Miclee said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:20PM Zertoss said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:23PM U U D D L R L R B A SELECT START said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:38PM The Aquacharger said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:23PM ManaByte said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:24PM ironneko said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:30PM SpiderPrime said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:55PM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 9:54PM pigon toucher said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:31PM Cleric said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:35PM JerrytheB said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:33PM Kilana said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:36PM JerrytheB said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:33PM paddedcell said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:35PM BIGGIESIZE89 said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 7:40PM GeoffSchultz said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 8:20PM peter pham said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 8:21PM oberonqa said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 10:17PM hiruuamon said

Posted: Jan 19th 2011 11:19PM Hivetyrant said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 1:35AM Speerz said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 3:08AM Nick Frost said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 4:29AM Speerz said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 6:44AM totalysharly said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 10:46AM Rahabib said

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 4:45PM iceveiled said

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