Hacking and cheat makers to be targetted with legal action

[[gh]Spurty]

We've started taking legal action against cheating (cheat-sites, cheat creators,...) both in the US and abroad. This is in addition to the on-going investments in anti-cheating technology. You'll see reports of this percolating up as various actions happens.

Supposidly posted by Gabe .. its not all that hard to get these things to bear some fruit. Its quote clear that they are spending lots of resources ($$$'s) in attempts to curb hacking and cheats. When you can put a real figure ($'s) on something and state how it negatively affects your company (people don't buy it in droves as they can't be sure the playing field is level from the off) then these cases tend to be listened to by courts.

Not to mention, its not going to have many PRO hacking supporters (for hacks and cheats in games, that were not put their by the company anyway) as people who want these tools banned and who already have servere ways of dealing with cheats at the localized level.

[unrequited]

When I saw this on /. the other day, there was a link to a myg0t quote which basically said, "They can sue us but I don't see how they will ever win in court. I'd like to see them prove how a cheat is any different than any other modification of code or content to a game engine."

If gaming companies don't specifically have a clause differentiating mod work and cheating in the EULA, legally, I'd have to say it'll be a hard fight. I for one hope that OGC (who's getting sued) gets their face stomped in.

[WangChung]

wewt. pwn ogc. PWN THEM

[Canon]

I don't like the idea of not being able to hack-into and use in the way I see fit the software and hardware I buy for personal use...

[unrequited]

I don't like the idea of not being able to hack-into and use in the way I see fit the software and hardware I buy for personal use... doesn't it fall under "fair-use"?

Fair-use only applies if you haven't agreed to some crazy stuff in a EULA. If they wrote on the EULA something insane like, "by installing this program, you agree to use this program only on Wednesdays from the hours of 3am-5am EST, while hopping on one foot, and chanting 'abracadabra'" you better set your alarm clock and hope your balance is good if you want to "legally" play that game. Of course I don't know off hand of any over-strict EULAs holding up in court, but then again, I'm no lawyer.

[ThriKreen]

Not to mention all those EULA's really only work in the US, according to a lawyer I know who deals with IP litigation, things like that and the DMCA don't and won't hold up in other countries.

[Canon]

The DMCA can suck a big fat nut in my book.

[Low-Light]

Viva Game Genie!!!

and well GameShark.. i used it. But Game Genie is teh SHizzLE!

[squeak]

GameGenie... teh memory...

[[gh]Spurty]

You can use GameGenie on public servers? I thought it was only for single player games. No one cares about single player games. There is no money spent trying to combat Single player trainers.

myg0t is clinging to a bit of a misnomer here. The time and effort in combating hacks is nothing like mod development. He would be laughed at by any technically competent judge. There is no money spent trying to stop mod developement. The money spent is to keep the potential of an industry that is worth millions as high as possible.

If people think that they will never stand a chance of being good at a game becuase soo many cheaters play it, the game will not sell.

The converse here is that mods like Counter Strike help sell the core technology, so clearly, there is a line between mods and hacks. myg0t, for an intelligent person, you are unwise.

I'll stop here as I'm off to Play that DoD hack of the halflife engine with myg0t. <-- technically competent people will find that sentence a load of BS. myg0t is hoping that judges will think its true.

[[gh]Spurty]

The DMCA can suck a big fat nut in my book.

I agree .. these things are the worst possible way to go about doing things. They STIFFLE creativity.

[Anonymous]

Filing a suit on cheaters is like democrats filing suits on republicans for existing....just won't happen.

[ferret]

Filing a suit on cheaters is like democrats filing suits on republicans for existing....just won't happen.

Actually it's happened plenty of times, just under various excuses :P

[Nefarious]

why are you so negative about everything EE?

[unrequited]

why are you so negative about everything EE?

(queue's up old SNL skit) Because he's EVIL!!!

[Nefarious]

why are you so negative about everything EE?

(queue's up old SNL skit) Because he's EVIL!!!

nooo... that can't be it. He's really not that evil. Its something else. Please, explain EE

[unrequited]

why are you so negative about everything EE?

(queue's up old SNL skit) Because he's EVIL!!!

nooo... that can't be it. He's really not that evil. Its something else. Please, explain EE

http://quizilla.com/users/Telal/quizzes/What%20SNL%20Goth%20Talk%20Character%20Are%20You%2 0%3F/

[Boobies!]

Hehe i know this thread has already died.. and I'm actually just re-stating what this thread was started on buuuttt...

Whilst on the topic of hackers.. did you know that VAC has ACTUALLY taken action toward CS hack networks? Check out http://myg0t.com http://cheat-network.net http://www.ogc-cheats.de/ and http://cs-hacked.net. Here's an article from cs-hacked.net. I'm just wondering if this is a last struggle for life from Valve.. another "mini" SCO Unix.. or just new strength and outlook from new bigtime backers of HL2 and the likes.


Word on the internet streets is that Valve is sueing cheat sites now for hosting cheats for Halflife games. OGC site is down and lists this as the reason.

I personally don't know if its true or not. For all I know, this could just be a ploy by them to get free money from people. Maybe they were out of hosting money and figured it'd get them attention and the money they needed. I wouldn't put it past anyone. I also find it funny they list myg0t.com as having donated. I sure as **** didn't donate, nor do I know of a member of myg0t who did. Perhaps again they are just listing us as having donated to get people to think "woah, if myg0t gave money, this must be real, I'll donate too!". Anything is possible in my eyes.

Now I'll consider for a moment if that it is true and they are being legally leaned on by Valve. Most people are probably not aware of this, but Blizzard has been sending out legal threats for years now to anyone who hosts cheats for Blizzard made games. Yet, I have never heard of or seen anyone actually sued, nor have I been sued myself for doing so.

Even if they were to actually sue and take you to court. I personally would welcome this legal battle, as I don't think it's one that can be won by Valve. I'd like to see a lawyer explain what exactly is the difference between a cheat and a modification of the game. I personally see really no difference. Both make changes to the existing game, yet one is taboo and the other is welcomed by Valve. I could make a mod for HL with all the cheats built in, wallhacks, aimbots, ESP, you name it. There really is no difference.

Anyways, just my thoughts on the situtation. I still say its a scam till I'm proven wrong.

-[myg0t]OldManPeterson

[ferret]

Blizzard, heh. Blizzard has killed so many projects and sites its not funny.

Blizzard and/or VALVe doesn't HAVE to win the case. It'll never get to court. They have money and these sites don't. Blizzard killed BNETD in a similar fashion. To my knowledge the case never actually got into court. BNETD couldn't afford to fight it and Blizzard now has their domain, whether due to court/out-of-court settlement or expiration, I don't know.

VALVe will take them down because VALVe has Vivendi's money.

EDIT: Note, I was on BNETD's side. Bnetd wasn't a cheat, but an open-source version of Battle.net so you didn't have to play on Blizzard's networks. I hosted a copy just as this was all happening three years back while still in college dorms. It was awesome software, but due to people using it to play the WC3 beta (Supposively), Blizzard cracked down on them. "Circumventing our CD protection methods and stolen code for encrypting passwords"

[ThriKreen]

I think the legal support VALVe has is that a cheat IS different from a mod because the cheat gives you an unfair advantage in an online competition, while a mod does not. Heck, the mod is what you play!

So changes to the game are allowed, as long as you don't get any benefit. You don't see people getting banned or sued for using weapon replacement packs, because they don't give you an unfair advantage other than a visual improvement.

Then you get into the various leagues that offer monetary prizes, and when it starts affecting money....

[airwalk]

I had GameGenie. I used it to beat Toe Jam & Earl for Sega.

I'm gangsta.

[Low-Light]

www.codemasters.com

They still have the GameGenie Logo up there 8)

[Nefarious]

I had GameGenie. I used it to beat Toe Jam & Earl for Sega.

best...game...ever...