Blizzard drops gold farming suit
Man allowed to sell WOW guide.
Blizzard Entertainment has reached a settlement with a Florida man who was blocked from selling an unofficial World of Warcraft guide.
Brian Kopp, 24, began selling The Ultimate World of Warcraft Levelling & Gold Guide on eBay last August, at $15 a pop. Blizzard, Vivendi and trade body the Entertainment Software Association repeatedly complained to eBay, citing intellectual property laws, and Kopp's account was suspended.
After a series of further appeals by Kopp and complaints by Blizzard, he filed suit against the company in March, observing that the guide featured a disclaimer which clearly stated it was unofficial and unauthorised. Kopp argued that no copyrighted text or plotlines were included, and that the screenshots he used were fair game.
The new settlement won't see Kopp paid any compensation, despite the fact that was what he requested in his lawsuit. However, Blizzard, Vivendi and the ESA have agreed to drop the allegations of copyright infringement, and to stop telling eBay what a naughty boy he is.
In return, Kopp has confirmed that the guide's disclaimer will remain in place, and that he won't include details of how to cheat within the game.