Blizzard: Valve Shouldn't Trademark DotA

[Crasha]

wht is wrong with people here, they dont understand that their thinking inside the box, they may have trademarked defense of the ancients, but they will never trademark dota etc etc

You sir, are wrong. They did not trademark 'Defense of the Ancients' they specifically trademarked the work 'DotA'.

source: http://www.dota-blog.com/2010/08/valve-filled-dota-trademark.html

 

[bob1052]

If your argument was anything more than some angry anti-fanboyism towards Blizzard you would realize the DotA game type became huge before Valve made a push at it. If Blizzard only want DotA to be free if it is on a DotA game they would have copyrighted the DotA name as soon as HoN and LoL came out.

Secondly, and more importantly, it was made by the WC3 community, for the WC3 community. Even if the whole DotA team was working on DotA team, DotA is no longer their name and they should respect their fans enough to realize that.

Your argument is soley based on the ridiculous fanboy notion that people who consume something they don't pay for somehow own it. If loving something were the only requirement for ownership George Lucas would have been jailed long ago and Han Solo would be restored to his murderous glory. I don't think you're a bad guy, you clearly have your heart in the right place. It just doesn't work that way in reality.

Your argument is soley based on the ridiculous anti-fanboy notion that Blizzard who supports community mods, who had the opportunity to trademark DotA a long time ago (and plenty of reasons to), are saying this because they apparently want the trademark for themselves.

I could add a meaningless example but I'll just explain why your example is completely idiotic.

What if George Lucas never made Star Wars, but instead made something else big. Then the fanbase of whatever he made created Star Wars. The community embraced Star Wars. Then George Lucas tried to take over Star Wars and call it his own.

 

[bob1052]

Presenting the upcoming SC2 mod

Reading threads instead of posting the exact same post that was already made is always a good idea.

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

Based on your other posts, you're either a fervent Blizzard fan or just a trolling ass. You can't call people fanboys when all you do is insult and hate on people that don't love Blizzard.

Furthermore, DotA wasn't made by the "Blizzard Community". It was played by and slightly modded by a part of the community. The game/mod itself was made by a small handful of people, one of whom (that being IceFrog, who was basically handed the franchise by the other two creators after they left to pursue other projects) now works at Valve. Frankly, it's within Valve's right to trademark the name. The only reason people like you are bitching is because you somehow think you'll have to buy the game and won't be able to mod it. Clearly, you've not really read up on the topic. The game is likely going to be free, just as Alien Swarm was. It will allow (and provide support for) any and all modders within the community. Just as they've done with Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead. And, just like all of Valve's games, it will receive frequent, free updates and content. Blizzard does the same, mostly, but unlike Valve, they usually charge for any large content update. (I point you to World of Warcraft, specifically) Now that's disgusting.

This all comes down to a community assuming it owns a game. It'd be like if the Team Fortress 2 community decided Valve has no right to own the brand or do anything with it because it's "theirs". The community plays it, so clearly it must belong to the community! Self-entitled whiners ruin everything, I swear. This whole fiasco is as bad as the whole Left 4 Dead 2 boycott. (if not worse, since it's not just a whiny bunch of kids but an high-profile company doing the whining)

I hate ignorance, plain and simple. And most of the people bitching about Blizzard are ignorant. Like, Blizzard charges for large content patches for WoW? Really? If you mean the subscription that goes toward the hundreds of thousands of dollars in physical maintenance every day, sure. But I didn't pay a cent for the 5GB patch I just downloaded earlier this month.

*ONE GUY* who happened to work on DotA doesn't have the rights, especially when it was made by other people and the fans contributed so much to the game.

I haven't heard anything about DotA 2 being free, and with Valve's obscene MannCo shop I really doubt it will be. Especially not if they're going to actively update it.

But to the point, when has Blizzard been "whining" about something? They were asked a question about something that is bullshit, and they correctly called it bullshit. Blizzard didn't sue Valve, Blizzard didn't release a statement when Valve announced DotA 2, Blizzard answered a question.

Im pretty sure those arent three different genres. Blizzard stick to the same formula. Im hoping when valve get DoTa they can mix it up a bit and improve on the experience the mod team originally made. Blizzard doesnt really have any force in the matter. Yes their mod tools helped created the original mod, but thats where it stopped.

Anyway, im not a fanboy for any of the companys, im just calling it how I see it.

How are a RTS, a MMORPG, and an action RPG not three different genres?

 

[Delusibeta]

The big glowing problem is thus: Valve is not trademarking Defence of the Ancients. It is trademarking DOTA. Not DotA, not Defence of the Ancients, but DOTA.

Honestly? It's like iD complaining about Valve taking Team Fortress from their community to make Team Fortress 2.

 

[Ghengis John]

I never recall they said things like "They didn't "want it to be free""

I never recall saying that either. I said they simply didn't care about it's existence. Which is a far different matter then implying they wanted people to pay for it. If they wanted it to remain free forever, they made no such statement of that intention in the past, and this is what I was referring to. The next sentence over makes that painfully obvious. I forgive you, understanding that our public schools are suffering. I hope reading comprehension protects you from such an embarrassing mishap in the future.

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

Blizzard "Dammit, we didn't get the copyright first, hey Valve, not cool".

EXACTLY

...NOT
Have you read any of that?

Blizzard are crying because they didn't get the copyright early on, and now they never will. This is about making money. If you think there are principles involved, you are massively ignorant about the way Blizzard works.

Making money... off a map mod they're releasing for free?

lol, what?

 

[Kiroth]

DotA isn't exactly something that should be trademarked by anyone except maybe the person who made the mod. If nothing else they should do what Heroes of Newerth did, give it a new name.

 

[Exort]

Since CS and DoD both started out as mods for HL and then Valve hired the guys who made them then trademarked the names I think they are quite within their rights to Trademark DotA as they hired the guy who originally created the mod and he now heads up the Dev team responsible for DotA 2.

Blizzard should have hired him first and then there would be no dispute.

Just my 2 cents

Blizzard don't want to make profit from it, why hire him. (BlizzardotA is free map)

Also IceFrog didn't create DotA or DotA: Allstar, he just the guy updating it now.

The Problem I have is they are trying to trademark DotA, not DotA: Allstar. People that never played it might think they are the same but no they are not. DotA is like a concept, a genre now. DotA: Allstar is a game. The real maker of DotA or AoS is gone, and no one know who he really is. DotA: Allstar is a fan made version of DotA. Later became the biggest of all fan made DotA.

Also the concept of DotA-like map is first in AoS(SC map). That is the map that started it all. DotA is like AoS on WC3.

Copyright DotA is like copyright First person shooter, and copyright DotA: Allstar is like copyright Half life.

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

Blizzard do not care about DotA being a free title for anyone to use. They only care about who gets to make money off it. They never supported DotA, ever. Now hopefully it will take off massively with Valve's support.

Which is why they updated the WC3 editor quite a few times to make DotA type games easier...

They are only saying that no-one should get the copyright because they have realised that they missed the boat. It's a PR ploy.

They have no principles. We are talking about the company that makes World Of Warcraft. Principles do not exist for this company.

Okay, nevermind. Now I just know you're being ridiculous and petty. "Principles do not exist for this company" because they made WoW? What a joke.

 

[Crasha]

The big glowing problem is thus: Valve is not trademarking Defence of the Ancients. It is trademarking DOTA. Not DotA, not Defence of the Ancients, but DOTA.

Honestly? It's like iD complaining about Valve taking Team Fortress from their community to make Team Fortress 2.

Best example I've seen today. I'd award you '+1 internets', if only it didn't seem like such a retarded thing to do :/

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

Blizzard "Dammit, we didn't get the copyright first, hey Valve, not cool".

EXACTLY

...NOT
Have you read any of that?

Blizzard are crying because they didn't get the copyright early on, and now they never will. This is about making money. If you think there are principles involved, you are massively ignorant about the way Blizzard works.

Making money... off a map mod they're releasing for free?

lol, what?

Ahahaha... ahahahaaaa... The company that charges people 30 bucks for an in-game mount now thinks it can dole out advice on business ethics. Too rich.

Odds are good this simply upset their own plans in some way.

What plans? To release a bunch of free mods to their community, with the stated goal that they'll be supporting Blizzard All-Stars with updates and patches (for free) here on out?

Wow, those are great plans.

 

[Exort]

Ahahaha... ahahahaaaa... The company that charges people 30 bucks for an in-game mount now thinks it can dole out advice on business ethics. Too rich.

Odds are good this simply upset their own plans in some way.

the mount is just look differetn not like stronger or anything, and still need the training to ride it.

Valve on the other hand is selling power In TF2.

For people that plays TF2: yes, they are selling power. How long does it take you to farm a hat? then a hat you WANT. really it is near impossible within a few month. So it is basicly buying power that last like 3 month (or way more if you play less.) or so.

 

[Delusibeta]

The big glowing problem is thus: Valve is not trademarking Defence of the Ancients. It is trademarking DOTA. Not DotA, not Defence of the Ancients, but DOTA.

Honestly? It's like iD complaining about Valve taking Team Fortress from their community to make Team Fortress 2.

Best example I've seen today. I'd award you '+1 internets', if only it didn't seem like such a retarded thing to do :/

To be fair, a better example would be iD complaining about Valve taking Team Fortress from their community to make Team Fortress Classic, since that's pretty much what's happening in regards of DOTA 2.

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

Blizzard do not care about DotA being a free title for anyone to use. They only care about who gets to make money off it. They never supported DotA, ever. Now hopefully it will take off massively with Valve's support.

Which is why they updated the WC3 editor quite a few times to make DotA type games easier...

They are only saying that no-one should get the copyright because they have realised that they missed the boat. It's a PR ploy.

They have no principles. We are talking about the company that makes World Of Warcraft. Principles do not exist for this company.

Okay, nevermind. Now I just know you're being ridiculous and petty. "Principles do not exist for this company" because they made WoW? What a joke.

Hardly a huge amount of support. Blizzard could have taken DotA and made it massive. Now Valve is going to do it instead. Tough shit, Blizzard.

Not a joke at all. If they had any principles about this, they'd give Valve their blessing and tell them to go ahead with it. They've done nothing at all with DotA since it was created, why get into a fuss about it now? It's pretty obvious.

Never mind the whole mess between Guinsoo, Pendragon and Icefrog. Which is a whole other kettle of fish.

They gave it a lot of support for what it was, a community game. Blizzard didn't WANT DotA All-stars to be its own. What part of that is so impossible for you to understand? They wanted it to remain a community game. That's why they never sold it for their own. Do you really think they're DUMB from a business standpoint? If they wanted to hire the DotA guys they could have.

I don't understand what WoW has to do with a lack of principles, that was my point.

And do you really not get that the only reason Blizzard is speaking out now is because they were asked about it? What is hard to understand here?

 

[Ghengis John]

Your argument is soley based on the ridiculous anti-fanboy notion that Blizzard who supports community mods, who had the opportunity to trademark DotA a long time ago (and plenty of reasons to), are saying this because they apparently want the trademark for themselves.

When did I say that? I said nothing about their wanting a trademark in any of my posts. I welcome you to scan them. For being the alleged, sole origin of my argument you'll find it conspicuously absent from any of my posts. I'll get back to you once you simmer down and stop yelling at me for what other people have said.

I could add a meaningless example but I'll just explain why your example is completely idiotic.

What if George Lucas never made Star Wars, but instead made something else big. Then the fanbase of whatever he made created Star Wars. The community embraced Star Wars. Then George Lucas tried to take over Star Wars and call it his own.

I'd say that'd be a crime but unfortunately your example is flawed. It misses the key aspect that in order to view Star Wars people would first have to purchase the big thing that Lucas made. Every time they wanted to watch it they would give Lucas a little money. Lucas is fine with this agreement until Stanley Kubrick comes along and says "I'm filming my own version of Starwars." It also fails to appreciate that the fanbase wouldn't have actually created Starwars. It was mostly the work of a small talented team, one of whom is now in the employ of Lucas Film. I mean. what was your contribution really? Did you come up with the whole Darth Vader I am your father thing? Maybe it was your idea to make Jabba a slug? I'm going to bet money most of the people hawking the "community" line didn't contribute anything and are really just worried about the "free" status of their favorite mod.