Blizzard imposes new rules on mod makers

Lum the Mad has posted something very interesting regarding apparent new rules Blizzard is now imposing on mod makers. Comments to his posting thus far I think ignore the larger possible implications to mod makers which I summarized in my reply:

I think there is an aspect to this discussion that people are forgetting. Blizzard now has a bigger stick to pursue people with, even if it isn’t as large as it could become. Copyright infringement (i.e. Glider case). Now Blizzard can do much more than ban someone who is hellbent on ignoring Blizzards impositions here. Now they can actually pursue someone in court, and win, based on the same flawed argument they used in the Glider case. It’s exactly the stage that computer industry analysts said could happen when the opined on the subject, and I think is something that we should worry about much more than we seem to be doing at the moment.

Blizzard would never pursue anyone, would they? In the immortal words of a great movie “go ahead, make my day”

I personally do not believe Blizzard has a right to tell anyone what they can do outside of the game. But I also know that because of the Glider case that Blizzard has a big stick to pummel people with if they ever chose to use it again. At least until the case has been fully vetted through the appeals process.