Blizzard Tries To Forbid Open Sourcing Glider 638
ruphus13 notes a new development in Blizzard's case against MDY, which we discussed last week. Blizzard, the maker of World of Warcraft, has now requested another injunction — to prevent the open sourcing of Glider code. Quoting: "Blizzard has asked the court for a relatively unconventional order prohibiting MDY from making the source code for its MMO Glider software available to the public, and prohibiting MDY from helping people develop other World of Warcraft automation software. Blizzard had previously asked the court to shut down MDY's WoW operations in its motion for summary judgment, but the court's summary judgment order did not address Blizzard's request. Blizzard's requests to prohibit open-source release of MDY's software and prohibit MDY's assistance in development of independent WoW bots are new to this motion — and seem likely to raise eyebrows in the open source and digital rights advocacy camps."
Pandora's Box (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:5, Insightful)
OOPS! we were hacked! our source code was stolen!
OMG!! It's all over pirate bay! sorry!
In other words, legally say "Blizzard.... Go To Hell."
Except, it's not legal if MDY claims this happens in court, when in reality the story is a bit fabricated.
Also, doing so before the court has a chance to accept or deny Blizzard's request may not help MDY's case at all, and end up costing them.
apparently lawyers are running blizzard now (Score:1, Insightful)
lets see, they want to BAN an automation software. on grounds that they may be used to automate their game.
im sure they are aware that normal windows macroing programs can also be used to automatize wow. but for some *obscure* reason, they are not disclosing that information to court, and ask the court to ban macro programs worldwide.
it isnt (Score:5, Insightful)
the STUPID, the OVERLY MORONIC argument blizzard is using is that the program 'modifies the wow software running in THE MEMORY'.
of course, that is trying to fool the old, senile court judges. everyone who has used computers a bit knows that when a program runs in memory, MANY aspects of it are modified on constant basis, and a few million times a second or more. windows kernel code modifies the wow software running in the memory, wow software ITSELF modifies itself in the memory, its memory footprint changes, it reads and writes data from disk, and to network and modifies itself accordingly.
a computer's memory is something too complicated for a lawyer to fathom. they shouldnt sweat it.
wow,big mistake. (Score:5, Insightful)
This can not help Blizzard in any way what so ever.
A) Glider isn't exactly hard to create.
B) Makes Blizzard look like bullies..again.
C) Now there are several people who are going to create a clone.
D) It's impact on the game, emotional views aside, isn't really that great.
Stopping Glider is a bandage on a bigger issue they refuse to actually address, farming.
Now, farming isn't nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be. In MMO's that allowed groups to control areas, it was horrible, but you can't really do that in WoW.
Here are some thing they could do:
1) Don't let anyone mine/pick anything that there skill level makes gray to them.
2) put some random drift into movement.
3) limit the price you can sell something for on the AH to 10 times what a vendor would pay
4) don't allow the transfer of more then 100GP a time. Maybe a one time unlimited amount per month.
All of these would be pretty trivial to implement.
Re:"illegal" open source software (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Can they do that? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:it isnt (Score:5, Insightful)
Yup, but the problem is that unless it's overturn in appeal, then the judgment stands that this software (in whatever incarnation of licensing) is illegal. Open-sourcing online would basically be a war-call, basically putting it beyond anyone's ability to contain or control. However, doing so might also taint any other projects that make use of the code, as the argument "this software X uses software Y which was already ruled illegal in the courts."
Basically, opening the source would be just be a revenge move. It's good for those that want to mod/hack WoW, but bad for blizzard, not overly beneficial to the creator (not going to make them any cash), and not really beneficial to the image of FOSS community either.
Re:Do it (Score:2, Insightful)
Because they want to stop someone from publishing a way to fuck over most players of their games?
Yup, how evil of them.
You cannot outlaw bots (Score:5, Insightful)
Sure, you can ban bots and you can void licenses when you catch someone, but bottom line: People won't stop as long as two criterions are not matched
1. The game is interesting enough to be played instead of botted.
2. The game is complicated enough to make botting pointless.
Why do people bot? Two reasons. First, they're goldfarmers and want to make as much gold as possible without having to do it themselves. And second, some parts of the game are just boring tedium nobody wants to do but has to.
So what all comes down is time sinks. People want to avoid time sinks. They don't want to sit in one spot and farm the same crapmobs for hours to get their $number $item for $quest. That's boring and tedious. They don't want to farm $mob for gold to buy their mount, that's boring and tedious.
Give people what they want to play and you have no problem with bots. Simple as that. When you have a problem with people botting through your game, all it says is that you installed something in the game that should keep the people occupied but they generally hate to do it (aka time sink).
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:3, Insightful)
OOPS! we were hacked! our source code was stolen!
OMG!! It's all over pirate bay! sorry!
In other words, legally say "Blizzard.... Go To Hell."
Well are you not a swell guy or what??? So what do you say to the guy that is NOT cheating? "Hey that is your problem, you oughta cheat too" This code sucks and people that develop it suck as well. They are people that do not believe rules are for them. Why don't they just go write ther own Open source versions of WoW and play with themselves. I want to play the game WITHOUT having to resort to cheat.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:it isnt (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm on the fence regarding the legal theories being applied. I think Blizzard should have recourse to ensure that people are playing the game within intended parameters, so long as expectations are made clear before money changes hands. I also think that stretching laws to get the desired result is always the wrong approach, and I just haven't decided if I think that's happening here.
But regardless, if you're going to insult the technical knowledge of those you disagree with, at least get the basic facts straight yourself. While it is true that modern computers draw both code storage and data storage from one big pool, there is nonetheless a difference between modifying running code vs. modifying the data storage used by the code. There is also a difference between a process in memory modifying itself (or being modified by the OS -- at the request of the process or in non-transformative ways that keep the system running on behalf of the process) vs. a process modifying another process in ways that contradict the intent of the process's author.
I could just as well say "You can't covict me of tresspassing when I wandered into Company X's board room -- people come and go from that room all the time!"
Cancelling my WoW Account (Score:1, Insightful)
I'm the ideal customer. Rarely play, but every 30 days my account is debited.
Blizzard has crossed an ethical line. Maybe they don't like the guy's software, but asking a court to restrict his freedom of speech is simply wrong.
Yes, publication of source code is a free speech right:
http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-225508.html&st.ne.fd.tohhed.ni?hhTest=1
Re:Right to Free/Open Speech (Score:5, Insightful)
No, my rights and yours are universal. The government is involved because we create a government to protect our rights.
This "Conservative" ideology that "our rights apply only to protection from the government" is just wrong. The Constitution specifies, among other protected rights, that we cannot be slaves - prohibiting not just the government from owning slaves. The Constitution of course instructs the government to protect us from robbery, murder and all kinds of other deprivations of our rights.
Our rights are inalienable. Not just inalienable by the government, but by anyone. We create governments to protect us from that alienation, even while the governments we create are themselves not empowered, and often explicitly prohibited to be sure there's no confusion, to deprive us of those rights. But are created with the power to protect our rights.
Re:apparently lawyers are running blizzard now (Score:5, Insightful)
If they don't want people to automate their games, maybe they should make their games less repetitive... instead of suing and banning people.
Surely, the development costs would be comparable to lawyer costs.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:4, Insightful)
How about Blizzard just fixes their software not not allow cheating?
Re:wow,big mistake. (Score:3, Insightful)
Here are some thing they could do:
1) Don't let anyone mine/pick anything that there skill level makes gray to them.
2) put some random drift into movement.
3) limit the price you can sell something for on the AH to 10 times what a vendor would pay
4) don't allow the transfer of more then 100GP a time. Maybe a one time unlimited amount per month.
All of these would be pretty trivial to implement.
Jesus, you clearly don't play WoW. These are terrible ideas.
1) People often need materials that are "grey" skill level. From useful potions to metals for engineering, etc. Plus, one of the advantages of having multiple characters is that one of your characters with an appropriate skill can gather materials for another one. This idea would completely break the tradeskill system.
2) This would be ok I guess, just really annoying since it would mean you'd have to constantly nanny your character while on autorun.
3) So you're saying that the market system should be abandoned in favor of having the overworked developers set a price that works not just world wide, but universe wide? Economies vary dramatically from server to server, and materials value vary dramatically as the game evolves from patch to patch. This is possibly the single most destabilizing thing that could possibly be done in WoW.
4) 100g is barely pocket change. It would completely break the system most people use of having a mule dedicated for sending spare stuff to for sale. You have limited inventory space and collect hundreds of items while questing, so this is fairly essential. It would also prevent raiding guilds from functioning effectively as they rely on financial cooperation by their members. Often in very large amounts too, some guilds spend 5-10k gold every week on various items for raiding. Furthermore, it would mean that sales through the trade channel or charging for rare materials or crafting services would no longer be possible.
So lets see, ruin the game with stupid restrictions or oppose a program designed solely for cheating and ruining the financial investment of millions of players...not a tough choice.
Re:Do it (Score:3, Insightful)
I will buy more things, I like that they try to get rid of cheaters and people abusing the game for profit. Those people just destroy the game for all others.
I doubt blizzard do this for themself as much as for their costumers (which if there was lots of cheaters and people grinding for profit would not have been future costumers and therefor would affect Blizzard themself to.)
It's the people who run patched games which suck.
Re:Do it (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Can they do that? (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes.
Glider was based off of private code.
Glider could not have been developed with access to that code.
A new, "copyright infringement-free" Glider would be the fruits of copyright infringement.
They could also get them under the DMCA for reverse engineering if they do try to "clean up" the code like a CS student before turning in a copied assignment.
Re:Do it (Score:3, Insightful)
Only because the rockets are designed specifically for use with (only function on?) cars that will only ever be used in the No Rocket Cars Allowed Test Track.
Re:Do it (Score:5, Insightful)
Curiosity... can you justify your argument in any practical way? If a bot plays 10 hours while I'm at work, and a college kid on break plays 10 hours while I'm at work, we both wind up in the same place at the same time. Neither of us has an advantage.
WoW leveling requires exactly zero skill, same with resource acquisition. Since leveling and resource acquisition in WoW is a matter of time expenditure - by design, mind you - why does it matter whether or not a player puts in that time, or a bot does?
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Do it (Score:5, Insightful)
In the midst of all this frothing-at-the-mouth has anyone ever actually bothered reading Blizzard's response [virtuallyblind.com] as to why the concerns of Public Knowledge [virtuallyblind.com] really don't apply to games like WoW (Games which you must connect to centralized servers only after agreeing to a plethora of EULA and ToU agreements and cannot access any game content otherwise). This case if you examine it deep enough obviously has no ramifications beyond preventing further hijacking of entertainment service providers such as Blizzard through World of Warcraft.
Can anyone give a single example of how this narrow ruling can possibly have a chilling effect on peoples "right" to do anything other than ruin an online community by violating agreement after agreement to effectively ruin a (game) market through unchecked greed? I bet you can't.
As per the response Blizzard filed to Public Knowledge's concerns:
Re:"illegal" open source software (Score:3, Insightful)
I would argue that Glider is hacking a computer network. Bear with me here.
The tool manipulates a secured line of communication between a client and a server to get a desired set of results and hides the fact that it is doing so. You could call it SQL injection, replay-attack, man in the middle, etc. It is the same thing as hacking a shared network.
A different example. Do you mind if I write software to run on my ATM that when it connects to a bank just manipulates a little data. Maybe transfers some additional money into my account? That is what a Botting-program does to an online game. It takes cpu and resources from the common pool and transfers it to the hacker allowing them to accomplish goals while the user is working or sleeping.
Now you could counter argue that Glider is only interacting with the Wow client in the same way that a user would. But that only works if they were actually interacting with the client and not disabling security and doing things not allowed by the client.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Oh I agree.
But lawsuits and the government shouldn't be the ones to give you a cheater free experience on a WoW Server hosted by Blizzard.
Blizzard should be the one to police it's virtual world. Blizzard runs the servers, Blizzard wrote the code, Blizzard collects money from paying customers like yourself who want to play WoW without worrying about other people botting or hacking.
Blizzard should take an active role in preventing/eliminating things they don't want in their world. If botting is going be against BLIZZARD'S RULES the punishment for botting should be ENFORCED BY BLIZZARD.
I have zero problem with Blizzard banning me/terminating my account/flagging my CD-Key as invalid if I'm caught violating their rules. Should it be *ILLEGAL* to break the rules Blizzard makes up for their virtual world? HELL NO.
That's like me making a web forum and telling everyone it's against the rules to post images...then taking to court anyone who writes an HTML book that includes the IMG tag. My rules that I've arbitrarily decided are NOT the law.
If some guy wants to publish the source to something he wrote, why shouldn't he be able to? Because some company somewhere doesn't like it? That seems a bit unfair to me. I'm sure Microsoft wasn't happy about Linux and the Open Source alternative OSes that exist. I'm sure you could argue that Microsoft's bottom line has been hurt from the OS community *AND* that much of the functionality of the OS communities products are based off of MS Software (Open Office can open .xls files - if not for Excel they wouldn't be able to do that, right?).
Re:Do it (Score:2, Insightful)
Because the rules of the game say you must be the one playing not some automated system.
The 9million people who subscribed to the game agreed to such rules and the majority of them play the game fairly.
So what makes you so special or gives you the right to be above the rules that you agreed to?
If you don't like the game or its rules dont play, don't be a self centered asshole who thinks hes above everyone else.
The Real Problem Isn't Glider (Score:5, Insightful)
The real problem is the fact that World of Warcraft (and every MMO released to date) is designed with such shoddy gameplay mechanics that people would rather have a computer play most of the game for them. The problem isn't that some people automate their characters, the problem is that a large percentage of the game is so mind-numbingly boring and repetitive that people would go to any length to avoid it and just play the good stuff. Is there anything wrong with this? Absolutely not, these developers (again, this applies to ALL MMOs) need to learn to design games that are fun the entire time you're playing them.
Put it another way, consider what would be the case if WoW were a single player game. The immediate conclusion everybody would draw was that the gameplay is substandard, because they are so tempted to automate it. Make it multiplayer and all of a sudden this is different? No. What's really going on here? Blizzard puts as many artificual, tedious roadblocks as they can get away with into the game, and the reason they do so is to extend the duration of their subscriptions as long as possible. When somebody decides to automate the process, Blizzard isn't protecting their player base, they're protecting their profit margins. They're saying, "You'll play this game OUR way so we can milk you for as much money as possible." So I say to Blizzard, cure the disease, not the symptom. Make a game that people don't want to have a computer play most of it for them and you won't have these problems.
Can't figure out how to make a game that's both fun and takes a long time to get tired of? Hire some actually talented game designers. We know you can take a design somebody else came up with and polish the mechanics to to a shiny gleam (see: every Blizzard game to date). Now's the time to innovate.
Re:Do it (Score:2, Insightful)
Wrong, grinding = bad game design (Score:3, Insightful)
> If a game had no grind, players would lose interest quickly
That is incorrect.
Guild Wars [guildwars.com] is an example of an online game that has (almost) no grind, and yet is massively popular (millions), and growing.
And GW has (almost) no bots, since there is almost no boring grinding for bots to replace. As a result, the only reason left to run bots in GW is for farming for drops, but it's very rarely done.
So no, you're wrong. WoW (and EverQuest and others) did not need to be designed as time sinks, but they were, simply because that extends the companies' monthly revenues. And now Blizzard deserves to be overrun with Glider-type bots, because the grinding problem is of their own design and making.
The need for grinding is a sign of a very badly designed game. Repetition has no redeeming aspects at all.
Re:Do it (Score:3, Insightful)
Because an honest player puts actual effort into resource acquisition, while someone who uses a bot is able to beat the honest player without expending the same amount of effort.
This frustrates the honest player and rewards the bot user.
If you don't have the time to play a game by its rules, then go find a different game to play.
Re:Do it (Score:2, Insightful)
I don't play WoW because I generally get bored with it after about a month, so this doesn't really affect me one way or the other. Your response, however, seems mostly based on emotion. I'm looking for pragmatic reasons to not allow botting.
Yes, the rules are a legitimate reason to reject bots, but they're not really a practical reason. I'm looking for a clear explanation of what the difference is between getting to L60/70 in 10 days with a bot, or 10 days hitting the keys yourself. Neither person person gains an advantage, and to play the instances - the meat of the game, really - they're going to have to kick the bot off and take control anyway.
So, really, what's the difference?
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:5, Insightful)
This case already had the shitty ruling that Blizzard gets to lord over what other software you're allowed to run on your own computer, just because their (bullshit, ought-to-be-unenforceable) EULA says so. That's a scary precedent too.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:5, Insightful)
"Why don't they implement a challenge-response system in-game like a CAPTCHA? Ask the player some specifically worded question about some game event."
Why don't they remove the obvious time wasting aspects of the game that turn a fun challenge into "grinding".
go kill this monster, but you are only done with X drops... wtfh?
I generally enjoy WoW but what really frustrates me are the obvious attempts to get me to play longer and therefore keep shelling out money.. like run over there and kill x monster then come back.. i come back and am given the quest to return to the same exact spot and kill y monster (that i had to kill anyway because he stands right next to X). BOOOORING!
if they spent more time developing quests (and adding to the lower level quest lines) people wouldn't want to automate their grinding (for an e.g. there is a low level crossroads quest that spawns a centaur attack on a village you have to defend against, makes you feel like you are really fighting "for the horde", lots of fun).
I'm just getting tot he high level stuff and it seems to be more along these lines.. why they don't try and improve the older work is beyond me.. that's prolly the number 1 gripe i hear about grinding. UGH WC or SFK again/ "can someone run me thru? i'll pay you gold".
Re:You cannot outlaw bots (Score:3, Insightful)
In his defense, the comment was posted by a bot.
Re:You cannot outlaw bots (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't think you understand game psychology. There is a crossover between a smooth, slow progression and long-term enjoyability.
If a game had no grind, players would lose interest quickly--the rewards need to be spaced out and not constant.
So you're saying any day now we can expect Civ IV Glider? Mass Effect Glider? Guild Wars Glider? I'm just picking on some games I play and enjoy. Civ IV is a perfect example. Sure it has a "grind" between the point that you decide on your plan and actually implement it. But what's this? Civ IV lets you set up a build order ahead of time and automate the process? Or it even lets you turn over the city building to an AI so you don't have to do the boring part? I guess we don't need a Civ IV Glider because the ability to skip the boring parts is built into Civ IV. So according to your logic, it's too bad no one will ever play that game.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:3, Insightful)
If I were Blizzard and he claimed the code was leaked because he was hacked, I'd probably accuse him of negligence, at the least.
Except at that point, isn't negligence considered criminal? If so, wouldn't the burden of proof be on Blizzard? It would be just as likely for MDY to covertly hand out a login and password and say it was "hacked" as it would to say that users, desperate for the software to continue existing, cracked the server on which the code resides and took said code.
Re:You cannot outlaw bots (Score:3, Insightful)
Certainly getting everything handed to you makes a game boring. But making the game tedious doesn't make it interesting either.
What I want from a game is a challenge. My goal is to prove that yes, I can do it. What do I prove by slaying a bazillion of the very same mob for some drop (i.e. "farming")? At best that I have no life and/or too much spare time on my hands. But that I can play? C'mon, get serious.
WoW is no challenge, though, until very late in the game. Why? Because everyone levels (bots...) his way up to 70. Why? Because it takes longer to find a group and raid that dungeon than to just mow down a bazillion trashmobs. So what's the point of leveling to 70? It should allow you to get to know your character. How so, when you can solo (or even bot) your way up there so you know jack about playing? Where is the whole friggin' point, besides it being a stupid, pointless and utterly boring timesink so you pay a few days longer?
Re:Do it (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:One Can't License Stuff One Does Not Own (Score:3, Insightful)
Solution:
Submit the entire Glider source code as an exhibit, to prove that it does not contain copyrighted or protected property. I imagine an expert witness could be found who could analyze it reliably. (Unfortunately, PAYING such a person would be more difficult.)
If Glider was written undersource control, it would be interesting to see the lifecycle of the tool, also.
Re:Haven't played in a while... (Score:3, Insightful)
first, it's OSS scripting that interacts with blizzard's "entertainment" code.
Then, it's OSS scripting that interacts with major microsoft apps, or reads the latest "MS ONLY" format.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:5, Insightful)
That's the wrong approach.
You shouldn't focus on stopping automated game play.
You need to make changes so it's not more beneficial then non automated play.
I ahve a programmable keyboard. I don't mean those ones with software running on the machine, I mean a keyboard with memory I can program.
This is completly undetectable to the computer. I could automate all kinds of things, it's what computers do.
Re:"illegal" open source software (Score:1, Insightful)
A different example. Do you mind if I write software to run on my ATM that when it connects to a bank just manipulates a little data. Maybe transfers some additional money into my account?
No, actually, I don't mind at all. I do mind if you connect it to the bank network, though.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not a question of legal. Here's my take after five plus years of reading Groklaw. (Which covers the SCOundrel fiaSCO, which is still in progress.)
It is a question of if the judge will hold you in contempt. A judge can do this for almost any reason. It is suspiciously convenient that the very source code that Blizzard was asking to suppress suddenly gets "hacked" and "leaked". It doesn't help credibility any when you earlier threatened to release it as open source.
Finally, and most importantly. If Blizzard can prove that you leaked it, and lied in court, the court can not only find you in contempt, and not only sanction you (lose your case, pay fines, etc), but you could face perjury charges. We're talking jail time here. Are you so sure you could leak it in a way that it would never come back to find you?
If your lawyer is telling the court that you got hacked and the source code was stolen and leaked, then you better not let your own lawyer know that you leaked it. Your lawyer represents you, but is first and foremost an officer of the court and must tell the truth to the judge.
Re:"illegal" open source software (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't bring firearms into this, it's a completely different ballpark. They have other legitimate uses.
Re:wow,big mistake. (Score:2, Insightful)
How is limiting the amount of resources that can be gathered going to LOWER the cost? Are you suggesting that people who want to gather copper for professions should create and delete alts to do so? Do you realize that ALL professions require many more resources than what can be gathered before that skill goes gray?
Should they get rid of rare world drops? Do you WANT rare recipes being vendored instead of going to someone who can use it?
I never said gold selling is bad. I'm not sure that it is. I know a lot of people who have bought gold here and there and frankly I don't care. Gold lending definitely isn't wrong. I've loaned gold to people many times so they could bump a few points in crafting, get a mount, or respec a few times to switch between PvP and raid nights. I've borrowed gold to get my nether ray a few weeks earlier than I would otherwise.
I don't know that we're playing the same game. Farming is becoming obsolete. When you can make a couple hundred gold in about an hour by doing dailies, who needs farming? That's kinda why they're there. I don't know anyone who farms primals any more for any purpose other than crafting. I think you're solving a problem that largely doesn't exist anymore with a solution that frankly doesn't make any sense.
Forget the MPAA and RIAA, fear Blizzard. (Score:3, Insightful)
You know, I always thought that the RIAA and MPAA would destroy
the software industry. I figured that they would push through
laws that suited them and to hell with everyone else. I figured
that they would create laws that burden everyone else that does
something with a microprocessor. I figured that million dollar
Oracle databases would eventually be burdened down with anti-piracy
nonsense to prevent pirates from using old IBMs or Suns.
I didn't think it would be the likes of Blizzard to trash the
industry with really stupid laws or heinously egregious precedents.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:3, Insightful)
So, the court has found the program can only be used for something illegal, and the company should not be allowed to sell it - but you are fine with they should be able to give it away to others who can then do illegal things with it.
Bit like they arrest a dope dealer then he should be allowed to give his stash away to someone else.
Re:I have a solution.... (Score:4, Insightful)
No, I'd tell them to play the game however they want. The presence of a cheater doesn't change your character, you can just go elsewhere and find your own random monsters.
In fact, a cheater is mostly indistinguishable from a WoW-Addict in that both go up levels far faster than you. The cheater's skills probably aren't as good because they let the bot do the work, so you should probably look at cheaters as big bags of cool toys/cash that are relatively unguarded.
But honestly, getting bent out of shape because other people want to play 80th level content without wading through 20-80th level content. Oh noes! We must use the courts to make people play the game properly!
Re:"illegal" open source software (Score:3, Insightful)
Here is the key part I recommend looking at:
The Court accordingly will grant summary judgment in favor of Blizzard with respect to liability on the contributory and vicarious copyright infringement claims in Counts II and III.
(emphasis added)
Not contributory means "helped them do it." So they are liable because they helped people violate copyright law, according to the ruling.