Anyone who has played an MMORPG since the dawn of the genre knows that the companies behind them frown upon cheaters and hackers. They also look down on those who tread in the grey-water areas, including the use of bots, software that plays a character for you.
Now, getting banned for using third-party software is one thing, and can at least be understood, if not appreciated. But how about getting sued for bots?
Blizzard has got fed up with the developer of a particularly popular bot known as MMO Glider and has decided to sue him. Blizzard asserts that the bot consumes more resources than a normal human would, along with it infringing upon Blizzard copyright for the way it manipulates the game to avoid detection.
The bot creator has already taken a defensive stance against Blizzard and is prepared to fight them. On one side, we have a company seeking to protect their cash cow for various reasons, including the integrity of the game. On the other, someone vouching for the freedom to use the game as they see fit. This will definitely be an interesting battle. There isn't any mention yet on exactly what Blizzard is demanding from the author, aside from ceasing to sell the software.