Blizzard awarded $88M from private server lawsuit

[Morreion]

Blizzard awarded $88M from WoW private server lawsuit (Massively)

Private game servers are a controversial, often hushed topic in gaming circles. Some gamers enjoy the fee-free nature of private servers, while others use these forbidden realms to experience the MMO in a different state than the live game (for example, playing on a "classic" private server that doesn't allow for expansion packs). No matter what the reason, game companies tend to frown on such activities. Last week, Blizzard frowned at a particular private server and was awarded $88,000,000 for the effort.

In October 2009, Blizzard filed a suit against Alyson Reeves, owner of Scapegaming and a private World of Warcraft server. Reeves was making a profit from the enterprise, using microtransactions on the server. The judge ruled that this was indeed copyright infringement against Blizzard, and ordered Scapegaming to pay $85.5M in statutory damages, $3M in inappropriate profits, and $63,600 in attorney fees. Reeves may appeal the suit at this point.

I've wondered why I could find so little information about private servers (free shards). Apparently there are legal issues involved.

[Regolyth]

While private servers are frowned upon, if not illegal, by game developers, they're usually left alone. However in the above example, the person was making money from the game, selling whatever though micro transactions. I think that is where Blizzard drew the line. I don't think they would have cared about a private server so much (there are plenty of them out there), but when someone started making money from their hard work, that was a no-no.

[Morreion]

I was wondering if making money off of the private server was the important factor there...that makes sense.