Valve and Blizzard Lawsuit Takes an Unexpected Turn
A lawsuit between game developers Valve and Blizzard against mobile developers Lilith and uCool over their games, Dota Legends and Heroes Charge, has taken an interesting twist. Instead of denying the claim of infringement on the Dota intellectual property, uCool is counter-suing, arguing that Valve and Blizzard’s copyrights aren’t valid. (source: Ars Technica)
The History of Dota
DotA, originally known as Defense of the Ancients, was a custom map for Warcraft 3. Blizzard acquired the full name in 2012, while Valve maintained the rights to the shortened version, Dota. Valve also obtained the rights to Dota 2 from the game’s lead developer, IceFrog, and creator, Eul, in 2010.
The Community’s Ownership
UCool’s argument is that Dota, as an intellectual property, should be owned by the community. This claim is based on the fact that Dota 2 features content from the most popular version of Dota in Warcraft 3, the DotA All-Stars custom map. According to uCool, this map took the most popular Dota heroes and created a new game, making Dota a communal project.
The Judge’s Perspective
Judge Charles Breyer, who compiled a summary of the case, rejected uCool’s claim. Breyer stated that evidence showed that Eul, Guinsoo, and IceFrog were the masterminds behind their respective versions of Dota and DotA All-Stars.
However, the case becomes more complex due to a 2004 forum post by Eul, where he may have relinquished rights to Dota. Breyer believes that a reasonable jury could interpret Eul’s post as complete abandonment or a limited relinquishment of rights.
A Thorough Summary
Judge Breyer’s summary provides a detailed timeline of the development history of Dota, with depositions from Eul and IceFrog. It offers valuable insights into the game’s early days.
A jury will ultimately decide on the complex issues raised in the case, but no date has been set for deliberation.
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