WoW Guide Blocking Suit Settled Out Of Court

A report by CNET News indicates that the lawsuit brought by World Of Warcraft MMO guide creator Brian Kopp against the game's developer Blizzard, as well as its parent company Vivendi and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has been settled out of court. The lawsuit was initially filed in March after Blizzard blocked Kopp from selling the unofficial game guide 'The Ultimate World of Warcraft Leveling & Gold Guide' on eBay through eBay’s “Verified Rights Owners” program, which lead to his eBay account being banned. Blizzard, which is known as an aggressive enforcer of rights surrounding its company's properties, invoked the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by claiming that the guide violated its copyright in the game. "It's pretty much the equivalent of showing up at your store one morning and finding your goods on the curb with nothing you can do about it," said Greg Beck, an attorney representing Kopp on behalf of advocacy group Public Citizen in the report. "They get so many notices of claimed infringement that they can't investigate all claims." According to the CNET News report, the agreed terms of the settlement do not include any monetary compensation for Kopp, which he had originally reportedly asked for. However, the companies agreed to withdraw any and all previously issued notices and claims to prevent the guide from being sold. In addition, the companies agreed not to pursue further action against the items already disputed through counter notices. As for Kopp, he agreed to keep the notices within his guide that indicate that it is not an official product of World of Warcraft. In addition, he agreed not to include instructions or links on how to locate cheats from within the game.