Blizzard files copyright infringement suit against alleged StarCraft 2 hackers
If you thought that being perma-banned from the Battle.net servers was the most dire repercussion of cheating while playing StarCraft 2, you're sorely mistaken. Last week, Blizzard filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles U.S. District Court against three players who allegedly created and sold StarCraft 2 hacks -- which we assume are responsible for a large portion of the 5,000 bans that were handed down earlier this month.
According to Blizzard's complaints, folks who use the hacks created by the trio actually engage in copyright infringement, using the game "in excess of the scope of their limited license, as set forth in the EULA and ToU." Blizzard also claims that these hacks "cause serious harm to the value of StarCraft II," by decreasing the game's legitimate players' capacity "to enjoy and participate in the competitive online experience."
It's unclear how much compensation Blizzard is seeking in the case, though a similar lawsuit filed in 2008 against a hacker who created an AI leveling bot in World of Warcraft netted the developer over $6 million in damages. We've contacted Blizzard for further comment on the lawsuit.
