World of StarCraft Hit With Copyright Claim

[Skizle]

but i thought that Activision couldn't meddle with any of Blizzards affairs. Seems wierd that they would pull the videos and not Blizzard

 

[John Funk]

This could very well be just an effort to protect their IP, as in they don't want to lose control over the Starcraft brand because they let this sort of project go, which I can easily understand. But I don't quite know the full idea of what World of Starcraft is supposed to be, as in how it is going to be release and played. I'm sort of just sitting here and waiting for the next story to unfold before I make any strong opinions.

As the creator says, it'll be a SC2 custom map played through Battle.net.

It's very odd, to me. As I said yesterday, there is absolutely no reason for Blizzard to kill a prominent project being created with their own SC2 map editor - quite the opposite. Given that this doesn't seem to be a C&D and it's just the videos being taken down, I'm in agreement with Andy - the only thing I can think of that would be objectionable is the use of the name.

It may have been Activision. I think. Does Activision own Blizzard's IP's in any way?

Activision-Blizzard - not to be confused with Activision Publishing - is Blizzard's parent company (which is in turn owned by Vivendi Universal, Blizzard's FORMER parent company - it's complicated), so... probably? I'm not sure.

It could simply be that Blizzard's legal team uses ActiBlizz copy and letterheads, so that something from Blizzard would be marked as coming from Activision.

 

[tahrey]

If they were happy with the existence of the thing in the first place and wanted to show it off as exhibiting the sheer flexibility of their mod engine, why ask for the videos to be taken down? The guy's basically videoed his own work (work in the mod engine yes, but i bet they'd be happy about 100 other things you could do with it) and as it has a tiny whiff of copyright breach about it, they've wielded the 10-ton hammer and tried to erase the main route of publicity about its existence.

Silly people. Take the guy on board, have it turned into a commercial product, make squillions. Unless of course they have their own WoSC in secret development right now and this example - this incredibly unpolished homebrew example that runs within one of their own games and hence would require the player to own a copy of said game - is somehow, laughably, seen as a threat...

 

[JDKJ]

It's very odd, to me. As I said yesterday, there is absolutely no reason for Blizzard to kill a prominent project being created with their own SC2 map editor - quite the opposite. Given that this doesn't seem to be a C&D and it's just the videos being taken down, I'm in agreement with Andy - the only thing I can think of that would be objectionable is the use of the name.

I'm not 100% sure what the law on the matter states, but there is an argument to be made that Ryan's receipt of YouTube's message does put him on clear notice that Activision claims copyrights to the posted videos, that his posting of them is a claimed infringement of those rights, and that he should cease and desist from such infringing conduct. Effectively, he's as well-advised of Activision's legal position on the matter as if he had received the message from Activision itself rather than from YouTube. If nothing else, he's now hard pressed to reasonably claim that he wasn't aware of the position being taken by Activision on the matter (which, technically, is what a C&D request is primarily intended to do (i.e., put the alleged infringer on notice and foreclose the possibility of a "How was I to know?" defense)).

 

[Canadamus Prime]

It's very odd, to me. As I said yesterday, there is absolutely no reason for Blizzard to kill a prominent project being created with their own SC2 map editor - quite the opposite. Given that this doesn't seem to be a C&D and it's just the videos being taken down, I'm in agreement with Andy - the only thing I can think of that would be objectionable is the use of the name.

Yeah, but wasn't Morroblivion created using the Elder Scrolls Construction Set which is the official Elder Scrolls editor? And Bethesda shut that down.

Anyway, I can't say I'm surprised.

"I hope and pray that we can come to an understanding here. If they want the name changed then I'll change it."

He should've attempted to reach that understanding before even starting the project. That's what the people behind all these sorts of fan projects should do. That way there be sure to avoid this kinda shit.

 

[ChocoFace]

"Mr. Kotick, someone made a mod called World of Starcraft, and it is exactly what you think it is"
"How can i make money off that, Jefferson?"

(Assuming he knows someone named Jefferson around the office, of course)

 

[acosn]

They can shut down the videos but it's probably harder to send them a C+D order without more content from them. Or something.


Thus far it doesn't actually look like they're not doing anything that isn't present in every other map in SC2 and it'd be a bit odd to explain how they could trash that one map but not all the others.


And if you want to don the tinfoil hat obviously its so that they'll continue work on it and eventually only discover that Blizzard seizes all properties and sells it on their market place to offer more precious monies as sacrifice to their Activision gods.

 

[Actual]

Most companies like this have one or two guys whose job it is to scan youtube and other media site for copyright infringements and decide if they need to take action. It's likely this was done without consulting the entire company, board of directors and parent company. It was just a guy making the best call he could at the time.

I'm sure more information will come to light soon.

 

[JDKJ]

They can shut down the videos but it's probably harder to send them a C+D order without more content from them. Or something.


Thus far it doesn't actually look like they're not doing anything that isn't present in every other map in SC2 and it'd be a bit odd to explain how they could trash that one map but not all the others.


And if you want to don the tinfoil hat obviously its so that they'll continue work on it and eventually only discover that Blizzard seizes all properties and sells it on their market place to offer more precious monies as sacrifice to their Activision gods.

Or more likely it's because YouTube is, as a technical matter, the one publishing the content and thus clearly an infringer. Technically, Ryan's more an unidentified and hard to identify poster of content to YouTube.

 

[Wintermoot]

Youtube Broadcast it yourself!..... untill rich companies start wining

 

[Desenova]

I wonder how much choice Blizzard had with merging with Activision...ever since the merge, Blizz seems to be in the news for worse and worse things. Don't get me wrong, they still make great games, it's just that Activision seems to be pushing they're fat, money-lard body around over everything and dragging any good name with them.

 

[Nathan Gilmour]

As noted by konner in the WoS forums:
http://www.worldofstarcraft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=announcements&action=display&thread=55

"Sorry, for my first post but.

Wouldn't it be "Activision Blizzard Inc." if they filed for Copyright? They haven't been Activision Games in a very long time, since the merge with Blizzard Entertainment. Or if it was Blizzard themselves angry about it it would have been from "Blizzard Entertainment" because that's what was claimed when the Fall of the lich king video was leaked out..

tbh it looks like you were hit by fake copyright flaggers.."

 

[Upbeat Zombie]

World of Starcraft.. That sounds like it would be pretty fun.

 

[rsvp42]

Yeah, but wasn't Morroblivion created using the Elder Scrolls Construction Set which is the official Elder Scrolls editor? And Bethesda shut that down.

But recreating an already published game is a little different. Sounds like Bethesda just wanted people to buy the actual Morrowind instead. This whole World of Starcraft thing just seems like a really elaborate custom map, so I hope there's no attempt to actually stop the project, seeing as how it can help advertise SC2's map editor.

 

[RogueDarkJedi]

The name is a bit odd. While looking on Activision's press/legal site, I could not find "Activision Games Inc" as being a legal trademark for Activision. This makes me question the legitimacy of the demand. I would imagine that they would use Activision Blizzard, Activision Inc, or Activision Publishing Inc (because that's what Activision Inc is filed under) in a takedown filing.

Basically, this takedown notice is most probably fake.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Yeah, but wasn't Morroblivion created using the Elder Scrolls Construction Set which is the official Elder Scrolls editor? And Bethesda shut that down.

But recreating an already published game is a little different. Sounds like Bethesda just wanted people to buy the actual Morrowind instead. This whole World of Starcraft thing just seems like a really elaborate custom map, so I hope there's no attempt to actually stop the project, seeing as how it can help advertise SC2's map editor.

Still you can't take it for granted that the copyright holder won't care just because you don't intend to make any money with your project.

The name is a bit odd. While looking on Activision's press/legal site, I could not find "Activision Games Inc" as being a legal trademark for Activision. This makes me question the legitimacy of the demand. I would imagine that they would use Activision Blizzard, Activision Inc, or Activision Publishing Inc (because that's what Activision Inc is filed under) in a takedown filing.

Basically, this takedown notice is most probably fake.

All the more reason to actually get in touch with Activision and verify this.

 

[Throwitawaynow]

Everyone slow down and quickly jump to conclusions now now now!

 

[JDKJ]

The name is a bit odd. While looking on Activision's press/legal site, I could not find "Activision Games Inc" as being a legal trademark for Activision. This makes me question the legitimacy of the demand. I would imagine that they would use Activision Blizzard, Activision Inc, or Activision Publishing Inc (because that's what Activision Inc is filed under) in a takedown filing.

Basically, this takedown notice is most probably fake.

Activision Games Inc. is one of the many subsidiaries of Activision Blizzard Inc.

 

[j0frenzy]

This could very well be just an effort to protect their IP, as in they don't want to lose control over the Starcraft brand because they let this sort of project go, which I can easily understand. But I don't quite know the full idea of what World of Starcraft is supposed to be, as in how it is going to be release and played. I'm sort of just sitting here and waiting for the next story to unfold before I make any strong opinions.

As the creator says, it'll be a SC2 custom map played through Battle.net.

Fair enough. I must've missed that part. I am still fairly unconcerned over the taken down videos and am mostly waiting to see what happens next.