From: Christopher R. Curzio To: mmorhaime@blizzard.com, fpearce@blizzard.com, aadham@blizzard.com Cc: piracy@blizzard.com, sales@blizzard.com Subject: DMCA / bnetd Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 11:20:20 -0500 Blizzard, It seems that Blizzard is now tacked up there with the rest of the companies that hide behind the DMCA when they want to eliminate something that doesn't please them. Blizzard creates Battle.net for online multiplay of their games. Battle.net doesn't provide for the connectivity that some people enjoy (LAN parties and the such), so fans (YES, FANS OF BLIZZARD GAMES, FANS OF YOUR COMPANY'S PRODUCTS) wrote a compatible server used for playing Blizzard games on local area networks. It also provides for server cross-compatibility, running under a wide range of operating systems. But lo! Blizzard didn't develop it themselves, so Blizzard feels they need to stomp it out of existence. So they grab a vaguely-worded bill like the DMCA, and claim their target application violates that bill. Welcome back to reality; bnetd does nothing of the sort. In shutting down bnetd, Blizzard is killing a market that buys their games, even if they don't use Battle.net. So the entire realm of online gaming is the schoolyard, Blizzard is the bully, and bnetd is the quiet kid who likes to take apart his calculator. Isn't it funny how lunch money doesn't even enter into the equation? Since bnetd is not an illegal piece of software, and legitimate users of bnetd can no longer obtain it from bnetd.org, I am going to set up a download site of my own where potential bnetd users can download a little certain something that might just be able to help them out. Writing a compatible server for Blizzard clients (Starcraft, Warcraft, etc.) to use isn't altering and/or modifying your copyrighted software, nor is it "bypassing a copyright control mechanism." By shutting down bnetd, Blizzard has alienated (and frankly, pissed off) its own fans. Congratulations. Your company has just convinced me that I don't need to purchase products from Blizzard, or any other name under Vivendi Universal ever again. My website receives plenty of traffic, too. I'm sure I can convince my audience to do the same. Regards, -- Christopher R. Curzio http://www.accipiter.org :wq! From: "xxxxxx.support" To: "'Christopher R. Curzio'" Subject: RE: DMCA / bnetd Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 11:41:52 -0800 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Hello Christopher. Certain programs have been developed that allow users to bypass Battle.net's CD-key-authentication process. Although these programs might have been made with good intentions, they directly promote software piracy by allowing users who have illegitimately obtained our games to play them as if they'd been legitimately purchased. Furthermore, because these programs allow access without a CD key, they render malicious users unaccountable, thereby eliminating Blizzard's ability to protect legitimate consumers. Therefore, Blizzard has taken an aggressive stance opposing the use of these programs. Please take a moment to read through our FAQ regarding these issues at http://www.battle.net/support/emulationfaq.shtml if you have any questions or concerns about Blizzard's stance on software piracy. {WR655} Thank you for your email, xxxxx x. Technical Support Blizzard Entertainment PS. If you plan to reply to this message, please include all previous messages between us. From: Christopher R. Curzio To: "xxxxxx.support" Cc: piracy@blizzard.com Subject: Re: DMCA / bnetd Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 15:35:18 -0500 X-Mailer: Sylpheed version 0.7.0 (GTK+ 1.2.10; i686-pc-linux-gnu) xxxxx, Thank you for your reply. I do have a few problems with some of your statements, however. You state that "Certain programs have been developed that allow users to bypass Battle.net's CD-key-authentication process." I'm sure you're aware that a player who doesn't have access to the internet, and makes an illegal copy of one of Blizzard's games, is also bypassing the authentication process. They didn't need bnetd (or anything similar) to do that. "Although these programs might have been made with good intentions, they directly promote software piracy by allowing users who have illegitimately obtained our games to play them as if they'd been legitimately purchased." Do you realize that your argument here can be *directly* applied (without ANY modification) to every CD duplication software package and/or service ever created? If that's the case, and that is indeed what Blizzard is concerned with, when will we see action being taken against companies such as Roxio? The funny thing is, programs like Roxio's "Easy CD Creator" were developed with the EXACT intention to copy and/or create CDs. Now I would think that promotes piracy significantly more than a program created with the intention of playing multiplayer games on a LAN without the need for a central server. That's not to say that CD burning programs don't have legitimate uses, because they certainly do. So does bnetd. The point is, just because a tool allows something illegal to be done with it as a side effect, doesn't mean the creators of that tool are responsible. Should we go after scissor manufacturers just because their products can be used to kill? It's an extreme analogy, but a valid one nonetheless. Obviously, you do realize that bnetd was created "with good intentions." Don't you think Blizzard might just be going after the wrong people? I read Blizzard's FAQ on this matter this morning. Unfortunately, it doesn't answer any questions; it only seems to try to justify what Blizzard is doing. Take for instance: What about the hobbyists who are not pirating your software but just want to use these servers as an alternative to Battle.net? Unfortunately, software pirates have spoiled this situation for hobbyists. Wrong. *Blizzard* is the party spoiling the situation. This answer also mentions "We are constantly working to improve Battle.net, and we sincerely hope that one day, no one will see any reason to seek alternatives to Battle.net for playing Blizzard games." Does that give Blizzard permission to stomp out alternatives in the here-and-now? Obviously, bnetd was created since Blizzard and Battle.net didn't quite fufill the needs of the gamers out there. So when something comes along that DOES fufill those needs, Blizzard sees fit to kill it as quickly as possible? Sorry, but that's bad business, and just plain rude. Maybe Blizzard should take the money they're using to kill projects like bnetd, and apply it to improving Battle.net so that the "one day" in Blizzard's vision of no-need-for-an-alternative comes a bit sooner. Regards, -- Christopher R. Curzio http://www.accipiter.org :wq!