Need clarification

[jtgizmo]

Well since the other topic about beta NDA got closed there is something I wanted to get a clarification for. A friend of mine got into beta, I know cause I live in a student house with 5 other people and it kinda came out from him (people tell close friends stuff, so don't get all gun hoo). Naturally me being fan as well I will be watching him play. Now he doesn't post here (nor does he have an account here) and he doesn't plan to give me a chance to play (we'll seeeeeee about that...), nevertheless. Since he is under NDA, but I am not - would it be breaking of NDA/this forum rules if I would post my opinions and such whenever the next weekend might be? As I read from other thread and the 'respect nda thread' they all address people who actually got in. I haven't got in yet, yet i will have the opportunity to watch, so?


P.S. yes I know he broke nda, but he is a close mate of mine and I am pretty sure a lot of people who got into beta, told their close friends about it...therefore - whats the ruling?

[grandpab]

It's probably not allowed just because anyone could say "my friend, blah blah blah".

I wonder how much is in the game we don't already know about though. The NDA is probably there more so that pictures and videos of content we haven't seen yet don't get leaked.

[Endeavor]

Well since the other topic about beta NDA got closed there is something I wanted to get a clarification for. A friend of mine got into beta, I know cause I live in a student house with 5 other people and it kinda came out from him (people tell close friends stuff, so don't get all gun hoo). Naturally me being fan as well I will be watching him play. Now he doesn't post here (nor does he have an account here) and he doesn't plan to give me a chance to play (we'll seeeeeee about that...), nevertheless. Since he is under NDA, but I am not - would it be breaking of NDA/this forum rules if I would post my opinions and such whenever the next weekend might be? As I read from other thread and the 'respect nda thread' they all address people who actually got in. I haven't got in yet, yet i will have the opportunity to watch, so?


P.S. yes I know he broke nda, but he is a close mate of mine and I am pretty sure a lot of people who got into beta, told their close friends about it...therefore - whats the ruling?

Legally, they expect the person who's under NDA to be secretive as the CIA. Only play when no one else is around, not going in detail and especially not let anyone watch while playing.

[DrakeWurrum]

Technically.. whether it's knowingly or not, wouldn't that essentially make him an accomplice? =\

The general ruling with an NDA isn't so much "TELL NOBODY" it's basically "Don't let it get public and/or go viral."

Blizzard, for example, used to have a rule that GMs couldn't even tell anybody they worked at Blizzard - it was that secretive. It wasn't even just for the company's protection, but for the employee's.
That being said, they also expect GMs to tell close family and friends where they hell they are all day. That's just common sense.

They just didn't want GMs going to forums, internet press, regular press, OR in-game contacts and shouting to the world "AMG GAIZ I'M A GM ISN'T THAT COOL?!"

I think it's been changed so that it's okay to say you work at Blizzard, but you still can't tell people what you do. Again, general ruling - they fully expect you to tell your close family and friends. They'd be idiots to expect to prevent that. They just don't want it going viral.

[Squirrelbanes]

Technically by revealing it to you I think you may be bound by it too...and (although ofc it wouldn't come to that) a lawyer would argue that you are equally liable now.

Basically, you talking about it breaks the spirit of the agreement, regardless of whether you factually or technically break it as you didn't sign it. And a good lawyer would be able to make it mean the same thing.

Please respect Arenanet and do not post anything about it here.

[Mif]

You won't need to leak anything, plenty of people will have that covered.

[grandpab]

You won't need to leak anything, plenty of people will have that covered.

Reddit mods don't really seem to care at all, and people love to create "throwaway" accounts...A couple hours ago people leaked that the beta servers were up for about half an hour.

[Mif]

Reddit mods don't really seem to care at all, and people love to create "throwaway" accounts...A couple hours ago people leaked that the beta servers were up for about half an hour.

/vg/ leaked a client download link until ArenaNet pulled it

[grandpab]

lol ya I saw the client too, didn't see a point in downloading it though so I just left it alone

[jtgizmo]

well I didnt plan to leak anything, hence why I asked, to make sure, technically it wouldnt be my fault if he left his door open and had headphones on and could not hear anyone entering the room, if you know what I mean.

P.S. servers were up for half and hour?

---------- Post added 2012-03-21 at 06:31 AM ----------

what beta is already ongoing?

[grandpab]

Yup, anyone who got accepted into the March 23-25 beta could play for a few minutes.

[Wrathonia]

P.S. servers were up for half and hour?

---------- Post added 2012-03-21 at 06:31 AM ----------

what beta is already ongoing?

Apparently it was. And there is no beta going on currently for GW2 other than maybe the internal one for the developers.

[DrakeWurrum]

Technically by revealing it to you I think you may be bound by it too...and (although ofc it wouldn't come to that) a lawyer would argue that you are equally liable now.

Basically, you talking about it breaks the spirit of the agreement, regardless of whether you factually or technically break it as you didn't sign it. And a good lawyer would be able to make it mean the same thing.

That's kinda what I was getting at, but in the opposite direction I suppose. In a court of law, it wouldn't matter, you and/or him would still get in trouble!

[Squirrelbanes]

You won't need to leak anything, plenty of people will have that covered.

Yh....sadly this will be the case.

As that recent leak just mentioned shows.

[Deleted]

Its quite simple, anything you learn about the game from your friend playing the beta, keep it to urself or you could him in trouble (get him kicked from the beta) and you wouldent want that, would you?

[BlairPhoenix]

Why do you people keep trying to find loopholes? It's the spirit of the matter that counts, and that is Anet doesn't want the public to be talking about their beta experience yet.

[jtgizmo]

Its quite simple, anything you learn about the game from your friend playing the beta, keep it to urself or you could him in trouble (get him kicked from the beta) and you wouldent want that, would you?

that doesn't really answer my question, as that puts him in trouble. Besides I wouldn't be able to post any pictures (nor would I want to). I was merely thinking to express my views on what I saw after the event.

[Hulari]

You're more than welcome to post your views to me in a PM. :P

As most have said though, probably bee best to just not post anything in a publicly viewable place. I don't think it would be too bad if you posted a few things to your friends and told them what you think.

[antonatsis]

well NDA also its for sites...since they have a legal right to their own product if a site don't delete or at least moderate leaked info,then they can just do some nasty things to the site from a legal point of view :P

[Midnight Man]

Since he is under NDA, but I am not - would it be breaking of NDA/this forum rules if I would post my opinions and such whenever the next weekend might be?

You may think this is a bit cautious of an opinion for me to hold, but I see it this way.

The spirit of the NDA is to keep anything seen in the game at this point under wraps, and not known to the general public. Sure, by the letter of the law, you writing an opinion of a game you have observed may not technically breach the NDA, you certainly have little to no argument about breaking the intent of the NDA (you will be, quite clearly).

Additionally, by extension, your friend is under NDA, and that, both in spirit and by letter of law means he is not allowed to divulge any details. As a result, actually letting you observe the game would be considered a breach of the NDA, and, if they chose to, ArenaNet would have every right to take action against him were they to become aware of that.

TL-DR - Don't do it, one way or another you or your friend are in breach of the NDA, and - just in my humble opinion - ArenaNet deserve a bit more respect than that.