How illegal are private WoW servers?

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:44 pm

topic

Negative_Creep · Post by **Negative_Creep** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:50 pm

Illegal enough for you to regret using one.

TheOnlyOneHeFears · Post by **TheOnlyOneHeFears** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:13 pm

Not illegal enough to stop me from using one

Negative_Creep · Post by **Negative_Creep** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:19 pm

TheOnlyOneHeFears wrote:Not illegal enough to stop me from using one

Lol fair enough. *rings MPAA*

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:58 pm

Private servers have *SO* much lag. You can fit maybe 20 people on one before it starts to lag in the red.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:36 pm

Negative_Creep wrote:Lol fair enough. *rings MPAA*

...The Motion Picture Association of America?

Why would running a server be illegal?

Negative_Creep · Post by **Negative_Creep** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:04 pm

timmeh87 wrote:
Negative_Creep wrote:Lol fair enough. *rings MPAA*
...The Motion Picture Association of America?

Why would running a server be illegal?

Oh yeah wrong one... cant remember the name now.. it's def not RIAA

I don't know HOW, but I know it is indeed illegal and against Terms & Conditions.

ghosstt · Post by **ghosstt** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:33 pm

timmeh87 wrote:
Negative_Creep wrote:Lol fair enough. *rings MPAA*
...The Motion Picture Association of America?

Why would running a server be illegal?

elaborate?

Shadeslayer · Post by **Shadeslayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:44 pm

first off it they were illegal then this wouldn't be legal. If thats not legal then why don't they shut them down?

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:05 pm

Why do you care? Its not like the feds are out to get all those people that have no social life AND no money.

Harshboy · Post by **Harshboy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:06 pm

Kurt_ wrote:Private servers have *SO* much lag. You can fit maybe 20 people on one before it starts to lag in the red.

Mkay...that's why on the private server I play on has 4000-6000 Players on all the time and I still have a latency of 57 or so? My Bar is always green...even in Org.

Private Servers only lag if they're being run on a common PC and not a Server...

Best WoW Private Server I've come by so far...

teraflop122 · Post by **teraflop122** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:14 pm

We had these kinds of discussions ALL THE TIME over at the EnB (Earth and Beyond) Emulator forums.

Modifying the game client (the stuff on the DVD's) is illegal because that data is intellectual property belonging to Blizzard/XYZcompany. Analyzing the packets being sent to and from the client and the official servers, then coding your own server software, is not illegal. It is, however, against the terms of service every WoW player agreed to when they installed the game. So, basically, the most that'll happen is they'll ban you from the official servers...

Of course, there's no reason a company couldn't hire some lawyers and send a Cease and Desist order to the operator of the private server. I'm pretty sure it's happened before.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:41 pm

So, in simple terms, they ain't going after the user, they'll cut off the source, so the worst trouble you'll get in is having your Level 69 Gnome Mage commit suicide.

Just don't let THIS happen to you:

http://www.purepwnage.com/episodes/s1/6/
then watch the beginning of
http://www.purepwnage.com/episodes/s1/7/

LoL at girl gamers inherently sucking at playing all real games.

vb_master · Post by **vb_master** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:14 pm

teraflop122 wrote:We had these kinds of discussions ALL THE TIME over at the EnB (Earth and Beyond) Emulator forums.

Modifying the game client (the stuff on the DVD's) is illegal because that data is intellectual property belonging to Blizzard/XYZcompany. Analyzing the packets being sent to and from the client and the official servers, then coding your own server software, is not illegal. It is, however, against the terms of service every WoW player agreed to when they installed the game. So, basically, the most that'll happen is they'll ban you from the official servers...

Of course, there's no reason a company couldn't hire some lawyers and send a Cease and Desist order to the operator of the private server. I'm pretty sure it's happened before.

So is installing Dark_AleX's custom firmware to a PSP, which violates the user agreement of the PSP software, and evades DRM, which makes it illegal under the DCMA in the USA.

The people reversed engineered the protocols obviously (they did this also for battle.net and blizzard got into a hissy fit about that, it is called PvPGN, but it still exists). Reverse engineering is illegal under the USA's evil DMCA (except for certain reasons, running Linux on a device is a valid reason I believe. Reversing to eliminate DRM is very illegal, except if you are a school or library, then breaking DRM is actually legal!), but in areas of Europe, I believe that it is still legal. That is why Datel and other's R&D divisions are located in Europe.

But, under a legal standpoint, running a private WoW server would possibly fall under a grey area, but it is not something that the FBI is going to raid your house for (like if you were running a bootlegged DVD store from your house or something). Only Blizzard has the power to raise a suit against the reversed engineered server. They don't seem to be even close to whining about a few people playing on private servers, as they most likely bought the game, plus Blizzard makes millions if not billions a month of profit on the game.

soundwave · Post by **soundwave** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:02 pm

Kurt_ wrote:Private servers have *SO* much lag. You can fit maybe 20 people on one before it starts to lag in the red.

That's because you were playing private servers most likely run on the admins main computer. Or if you're lucky their dedicated (emphasis on <i>their</i>) server, most likely run on a broadband connection. It's a bit lacking to say that all private servers are junk, there are the few that are actually good.

My suggestion is to just pay the 15 dollars a month; and if you do, find me on Zul'jin Alliance or Greymane Horde.