legal posts

Blizzard and MDY Industries, the company responsible for a bot called Glider, have been at each others throat since 2006. Using the bot Glider, World of Warcraft players were able to send a bot out to perform simple tasks that would lead to be rewards, most notably was the ability to have the bot auto engage enemies to grind levels. Blizzard quickly reacted by filing suit against MDY Industries citing the bot was in direct violation of the end user license agreement all players must accept in order to play the game. According to BBC News the courts agree.

After winning one legal battle against MDY Industries in July 2008, Blizzard has been awarded $6 million from the bot developer in its most recent court case. Blizzard, however, may still appeal the ruling as the famed game developer expected a larger stack of money. Further litigation is planned for a January 2009 court date which is expected to resolve other issues stemming from the creation of the product.

The entire quagmire began when MDY Industries filed suit against Blizzard claiming the software giant was strong arming them from selling the $25 application for invalid reason. Wow. Someone at MDY Industries is totally firing its legal team right now.

In an interview with Develop, Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack broke his silence regarding the legal battle his company is tangled in with developer Epic Games.

"The trial is proceeding, we feel really good about our claims, and we're hopeful that justice will be done," Dyack commented to Develop. "We all feel really strongly that they have defrauded us, and a major portion of the industry."

In July 2007, Silicon Knights filled a lawsuit against Epic Games - developers of Gears of War - alleging that the developer's Unreal Engine 3 code was inadequate and has "caused serious damage to not only Silicon Knights, but a number of other developers in the industry," as reported by GameDaily. In August of the same year, Epic Games filled a counterclaim stating that Silicon Knights had copied its technology when a new engine was developed for Too Human.

It appears the heated battle rages on and considering the amount of licensees Epic Games has for its Unreal Engine 3 tool set the outcome could largely impact the games industry.

[via GameDaily]

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) challenged a Minnesota state law that "sought to penalize minors for the purchase of rental of M- or AO-rated games." The judge ruled in the ESA's favor, calling the law unconstitutional, and saying that "there is no showing whatsoever that video games, in the absence of other violent media, cause even the slightest injury to children." The state was forced to cover $65,000 in attorney fees and expenses.

The ESA has won similar cases in nine other states. CEO Michael D. Gallagher said: "Courts across the United States have ruled consistently that video games are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as other forms of art, such as music and literature."

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates each game's appropriateness for children, and its ratings are displayed on every retail box. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has found that 80% of parents are aware of the system, and the judge in the Minnesota case suggested that tax payer dollars would be best spent "to help support [the ESRB system], rather than continue to pursue unconstitutional legislation that works against it."