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Hosting WOW and BC Client
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Post by
cuccu
Hello
I did a small research and noticed that there are tons of websites that host the client for WOW and WOWBC. A lot of torrents have them available as well, as also Blizzard distributes the clien via torrent technology.
My question is, is it legal to host these clients, for download ? I've mailed Blizzard directly, they never replied.
Post by
jure12
it is illegal.
Post by
cuccu
Why is it illegal ? There is nothing about it on Blizzard webpage, EULA, TOC or anything.
Do you have an official webpage where they forbid that?
Post by
dhampir1989
Hosting the client for alternative downloads to the Blizz on is ok (at least Ive never been told otherwise for suggesting it on the EU IGCS when the Blizzard Downloader is playing up.)
Hosting a private server IS NOT.
Post by
cuccu
No, not hosting a server. Just hosting the Client , nothing else.
Post by
117529
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
cuccu
Still, i was unable to find something very clear about it on Blizzard pages. Anyone can help?
Post by
jure12
Still, i was unable to find something very clear about it on Blizzard pages. Anyone can help?
I'm quite sure that it IS in TOS/EULA, but when you try to read it, it won't be
very clear
- it will be filled with professional terminology (that is: some
lawyer's mumbo-jumbo
)
edit: Not only that is illegal to host a private server, it is also illegal to play on one. It can be done in a way that Blizzard can not trace it, but if you are not cautious enough, Blizzard can find out. Check
Warden
- they already know a lot. On the other side, we all agreed to TOS/EULA, whatever is in.
Post by
cuccu
I've read it several time, its not in EULA or TOS. You can do a search in both of them for "download" or "host", you will see that there is nothing that applies.
Ive also found links to such websites, that host WOW or WOWBC Full Client files, inside official WOW Europe forums. And as we all know how strict are those forums and everything illegal is purged.
Post by
cuccu
I think you missunderstood. I am talking about hosting the GAME CLIENT, not to host an WOW Server. We all know that that is illegal.
Post by
dhampir1989
If you want a definitive answer, try asking on the official forums...
And how do you mean, hosting the client?
Post by
cuccu
I mean the initial client of WOW or WOWBC. We have a lot of users that trashed their cds and want to redownload the initial file.
Ive asked in the official forums, sill no reply.
Post by
jure12
I think you missunderstood. I am talking about hosting the GAME CLIENT, not to host an WOW Server. We all know that that is illegal.
You're right. I haven't understood.
check
http://www.wowwiki.com/Patch_mirrors#Playable_Client
they are ((rather rapidshare and such) ) hosting client, and it is there for a long time. Blizzard would already react if it was illegal. In fact, they like community to host clients, so their bandwith is used less.
On that link there already are Rapidshare links, so...
We have a lot of users that trashed their cds and want to redownload the initial file.
... go get it :)
BTW, who are
we
?
Post by
cuccu
"We" are the biggest website in a Eastern Europe country that got sued by a local law company that was founded by the official Vivendi dealers years ago. They claimed is it illegal to host the files. The judge denied their request, they appealed it. The appeal was judged months later and was suspended forever, because the law company never motivated their appeal and never paid the tax for the trial.
You need to understand a couple more things:
- how is this law company making money - they got years ago a power of attorney from Vivendi and Blizzard, in order to represent them here. They find a lot of companies (like cybercafes that dont have legit copies of their games, websites, etc) and sue them to justice. At the end of the month they make an report to Vivendi: we got xxx.xxx EURO from these trials and we had yyy.yyy EURO expenses for this trials. So as long as they can invent more trials, they can get money from Vivendi.
For me its absurd, we are running our website since 12 years now, and i know very well what's illegal and what's not.
Im pretty sure that Vivendi doesnt even know about it, but the law company will just ask them for more money, because they gone after us
Post by
jure12
@cuccu
thanks for that posted, interesting read. I'm not surprised with the law practice, tbh.
One of the things is that many companies ignore certain misbehaving (not saying that you're misbehaving) but keep the right to sanction them - they might use that right at some point in time. For example, instant messenger that worked with all major players: MSN, AIM, ICQ, was left unpunished, but then gained a lot popularity, and those companies decided to sue them - basically to use their right they always had, but didn't care at some point.
In your case, Blizzard probably couldn't care less about nature of suing, as long as they get money for it. And I can say for sure that they adore having their files distributes all over the internet, since it makes their bandwidth used less.
I also live in Eastern Europe, so I'm not much surprised with nature/practice of it all.
Good luck with it. After all, they did stop the process and I wouldn't be surprised that they never continue it (as you said, they haven't paid taxes, so they probably have yyy.yyy > xxx.xxx at this point :) )
Post by
138330
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
cuccu
Sure, but in Eastern Europe its easier to download the file from a closer server. Anyway, the point was if its legal or not to host them.
Post by
cuccu
Actually the first trial stopped. Now they made a second claim , to police, to make us a penal case. And they ask 30.000 EURO damages . When i asked how that amount was calculated, they said the law company have an internal process for that.
Post by
152121
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
cuccu
Still, where is Blizzard saying that its illegal to do it ? I mean, you have to make an ac&*!@ on their webpage, you have to buy a cdkey from them.
It would be absurd to think that every single website in this world that mirrors games, demos, full clients have permission from the developers. Its in developer's interest to have their file spread to as many people as possible, at the smallest cost possible. And again, there is nothing against it in EULA or TOS.
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