Is blizzard still anti private servers or are they at peace now?

[pcgmer]

I've been investing a good amount of time in --- snip --- WoW (--- snip --- can barely even be called WoW anymore, it's brought more new features and content than last 4 expansions combined, it's practically a new MMO).

Am I at risk of losing all that time if actiblizz just decides to flip the switch?

There seem to be a lot of private WoW servers atm, and none of them getting closed anymore.

Does Blizz allow them to live because they feel it's free advertisement for retail WoW?
Personally I disagree, until WoW goes buy2play only or free2play, I don't see myself ever doing anything else related to it other than watching the story cutscenes online.

[Calfredd]

They are and will (in the immediate future) always be anti-private server. They usually bring the hammer down on the servers that try to profit first and then go after any other servers that hit their radars.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

There stealing the IP and most of the time making money off of it selling stuff.

Blizzard will always be against it and the more popular they get the more likely they are to get noticed and shut down.

[Surfd]

Blizzard literally HAS to be against them, because anything else would open them up for potential legal challenges for not protecting their IP.

Basically, just operate on the assumption that at any time, Blizz can get any private server shut down without notice.

The main question is just how well the people operating the private servers can manage to fly under the radar and avoid attracting the attention that brings the lawyers down on their heads.

I would avoid any private server that even gives off a whiff of trying to turn a profit off it, cause profiting off Blizz's IP without their permission is probably the #1 way to attract unwanted attention.

[Shadowferal]

The main question is just how well the people operating the private servers can manage to fly under the radar and avoid attracting the attention that brings the lawyers down on their heads.

It's one reason why I've not gone that route in parading my ideas in such a fashion...yet.
These days I wonder which would be worse, IP infringement, or that such are doing better at attracting players.

[Nymrohd]

I mean all you need to do is look at what --- snip --- people are doing and then wonder what they'd be able to do with actual Dev tools . . .

[durenas]

.anything else would open them up for potential legal challenges for not protecting their IP.

This is actually false. You are not legally obligated to protect your IP. Your IP is yours. Copyright(Which is what this would be) only needs for you to register it at the copyright office(which they have always done). Then, you can decide at any time to protect it if you wish. There will never be an argument that will fly in court 'they haven't protected it until now, they forfeit the copyright'. There is a requirement to protect a *trademark* which is not the same thing.

[VinceVega]

I've been investing a good amount of time in Turtle and Ascension WoW (Ascension can barely even be called WoW anymore, it's brought more new features and content than last 4 expansions combined, it's practically a new MMO).

Am I at risk of losing all that time if actiblizz just decides to flip the switch?

There seem to be a lot of private WoW servers atm, and none of them getting closed anymore.

Does Blizz allow them to live because they feel it's free advertisement for retail WoW?
Personally I disagree, until WoW goes buy2play only or free2play, I don't see myself ever doing anything else related to it other than watching the story cutscenes online.

The will never be pro private server. It is theft. Nothing else.
And i think they are right.

[exsanguinate]

There stealing the IP and most of the time making money off of it selling stuff.

Blizzard will always be against it and the more popular they get the more likely they are to get noticed and shut down.

Truth is privat server do a better job than blizzard ever did when it comes to adding content.

[Vampyr78]

Why would they ever be not against people pirating and hacking their software?

[czarek]

Obviously against. Its still piracy.

[McNeil]

They will never be at peace with them. It remains an illegal act and Blizzard is obligated to try to shut them down, which is not always an easy task when some of the servers are hosted in places like Russia.

[OokOok]

is this a serious question? how stupid is this question?

Should a company be pro piracy? how does that even compute in your brain.

If someone walks into a grocery store and steals food and then gives it to you for free, should the grocery store be ok with it?

[Lochton]

I've been investing a good amount of time in Turtle and Ascension WoW (Ascension can barely even be called WoW anymore, it's brought more new features and content than last 4 expansions combined, it's practically a new MMO).

Am I at risk of losing all that time if actiblizz just decides to flip the switch?

There seem to be a lot of private WoW servers atm, and none of them getting closed anymore.

Does Blizz allow them to live because they feel it's free advertisement for retail WoW?
Personally I disagree, until WoW goes buy2play only or free2play, I don't see myself ever doing anything else related to it other than watching the story cutscenes online.

They are still anti-pirate servers but they have more important stuff to currently handle than crap under that shoes, it seems. They should still be openly striking out with C&Ds, I mean, it is people using their IPs without permission.

[Danuel]

I never understand why ppl says: "private servers". Call it proper name and don't be ashamed: pirate servers.

[Shadowferal]

Hmf...swap out the names, redo the lore so it's actually consistent and and coherent...y'know, intelligent, then it'll be different enough that Blizz won't recognize it.

[Nymrohd]

Always wondered, could you set one up that is only available within a VPN?

[Linkedblade]

I never understand why ppl says: "private servers". Call it proper name and don't be ashamed: pirate servers.

Except they aren't. The backend you can setup yourself is just a few apache servers and an SQL database. None of which is pirated and under some open or semi-open licenses.

The world and game client are blizzards files, but you are allowed to do with the content as you please when you purchase the game. You just can't modify them in a way that violates their Eula, but only if you are playing on their servers.

The only argument that Blizzard can make is that private servers cause them losses/damages.

[MrLachyG]

Except they aren't. The backend you can setup yourself is just a few apache servers and an SQL database. None of which is pirated and under some open or semi-open licenses.

The world and game client are blizzards files, but you are allowed to do with the content as you please when you purchase the game. You just can't modify them in a way that violates their Eula, but only if you are playing on their servers.

The only argument that Blizzard can make is that private servers cause them losses/damages.

this is possibly the worst legal take I have ever seen. EVER SEEN!

[Biglog]

It's kind of selective, some they shut down and others they turn a blind eye to. But to your point about losing progress, that's always a risk. Like Microsoft and emulation on Xbox, either Blizzard or the people running the server can pull the plug anytime. So if you use them it's more of a have fun with it while it lasts thing, not something you can count on to be around for years. They can still be a whole lot of fun though with custom events that would never happen in retail, like GM-controlled dragons attacking capital cities.