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Guy finds Starcraft source code and returns it to Blizzard
- Thread starter dmr87
- Start date
I think, morally, the right thing to do would have been to release it publicly. After all, isn't the optimum age for Copyright something like 14 years? Or maybe 24? idfk. It's been a while since I read about it. Point is, the more stuff that's out there, the better for everyone on the whole. So, morally, giving the source code away would have been the best thing to do.
Legally, he did the right thing, and I can understand not wanting to go up against the legal army behind Blizzard.
Legally, he did the right thing, and I can understand not wanting to go up against the legal army behind Blizzard.
Really ? Come on bruh.
He gave source code back to its owners. Morally he did the right thing.
Create online identity that can't be traced back to me.
Provide evidence of having access to the source code.
Setup fund for payment through some sort of anonymous payment method (bitcoin would suffice).
Once it hit a certain target, release the source code.
It's not rocket science, and this stuff goes on already in instances where someone has gained access to an undumped rom.
Well, I guess that disc was quite important to Blizzard. I wonder though what anyone would want with a source code of a 20 year old game. It's also strange how such a important Disc could end up on ebay...
Blizzards statement was very funny though, with that they could ask anyone to return their game discs as they are also their intelectual property
With the source code you can basically change anything with that version of the game. The source code of a game is what the developers compile to make the final version of the game, or update to make make patches.
Wow, there are actually people in this thread that think he should've uploaded this to the internet, calling it the right thing to do. Interesting. I guess if you get something second-hand it's perfectly fine to share it with everyone. It's also pretty hilarious the absolute badasses saying they would've held out for a better deal from Blizzard. As if a "better deal" from Blizzard wouldn't entail a lawsuit against a fucking juggernaut. Good luck with that, should you happen upon the Diablo 2 source code or some such. I expect you to fall on that sword!
I would say that giving the disk back to Blizzard is the right move, especially since Blizzard is making a remake of Starcraft, but I can definitely understand why people would want the source code uploaded to the Internet, it could lead to some amazing mods and even full games based on the source code.
I can understand it too. And yeah, that would be neat. I think what would be more likely to happen is that Starcraft would've been ported to every system that could possibly run it, much like Doom has been. It'd be great to see more games have their source codes released. Officially, at least.
Freeman76
Member
What a bunch of cunts. The guy did the right thing and was well rewarded for it, good job all round. Those pricks you quoted are dregs mate, selfish and short sighted.
Guy should have released it low-key. Regardless of your thoughts on IP in general, source code in particular is more akin to what would be required in a patent disclosure in other fields, and Starcraft is coming right up on the end of what its patent term would be - it's a shame, not that everyone can't make their own Starcraft, but that specifically because it's end-user software rather than a physical toy no one can look under the hood of Starcraft and apply its lessons for another century.
If the concern was potential interference with Remastered, which betrays a bit of a misunderstanding of how similar situations have played out involving games which couldn't hide their mechanics, there's also the option of a redacted release or even using it as the basis for a clean-room reimplementation.
If the concern was potential interference with Remastered, which betrays a bit of a misunderstanding of how similar situations have played out involving games which couldn't hide their mechanics, there's also the option of a redacted release or even using it as the basis for a clean-room reimplementation.
And post a pic on Reddit for rage
People frothing at their mouths about how it's history and should be accessible for all of us etc are missing this.
If the source code came out, other than having mods/forks competing with their soon-to-be-released SC: Remastered, they would have to spend a lot of time on dealing with whatever game breaking bugs and ways to "game the game" people would find out about from reading the source.
It's the same gameplay code.
Spukc
always chasing the next thrill
Yep...
Coreda
Member
For anyone who had a curiosity for such things it would have taken a strong will not to have kept a copy for themselves just for their own satisfaction of knowing they were one of the few with the source code. A bit like Andy Warhol wearing a $100k necklace beneath his plain turtleneck without anyone being the wiser. That feeling that you're secretly in possession of a highly desirable artifact.
GrimDarkDarrel
Member
This was a massive once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and this guy just gave it away for pocket change.
Some people on the first couple pages of this topic acting as if a trip to blizzcon and $250 makes giving it to blizzard a reasonable option. Even if they replaced the trip to blizzcon with hard cash and multiplied the amount by 1000 I'm not sure I'd take it, but at least then it would be a value proposition worth considering.
Smarter:
I wouldn't let my actual name or IP address get within 100 feet of any account in any way connected to that disc, because any major games publisher should always be expected to be aggressively litigious at all times.
Getting money for selling the disc on ebay is just a bonus. If you get lucky, you get a lot, otherwise whatever. Blizzard might as well have given him nothing as far as I'm concerned. You couldn't pay me to go to blizzcon, and $250 in their stores is so close to pointless I don't see how anyone in this thread considers it a nice reward for anything. If you care about blizzard games you already own them.
Some people on the first couple pages of this topic acting as if a trip to blizzcon and $250 makes giving it to blizzard a reasonable option. Even if they replaced the trip to blizzcon with hard cash and multiplied the amount by 1000 I'm not sure I'd take it, but at least then it would be a value proposition worth considering.
You're not thinking about a smart way to handle the situation.
Smarter:
- Back up the disc
- Get VPN
- Create reddit throwaway to tell people about the disc. If it gets attention, that helps step 4.
- Sell just the disc on ebay. Sell for way more than blizzard would have payed out, to some collector, who cares what he does with it, because...
- Weeks or months later, if buyer hasn't done this already, upload torrent. For modders, for justice, for future generations.
I wouldn't let my actual name or IP address get within 100 feet of any account in any way connected to that disc, because any major games publisher should always be expected to be aggressively litigious at all times.
Getting money for selling the disc on ebay is just a bonus. If you get lucky, you get a lot, otherwise whatever. Blizzard might as well have given him nothing as far as I'm concerned. You couldn't pay me to go to blizzcon, and $250 in their stores is so close to pointless I don't see how anyone in this thread considers it a nice reward for anything. If you care about blizzard games you already own them.
The most important thing that should be ensured above all else for anyone who comes across something like this is that the data gets out there, so people can do cool things with it. It just so happens that you can potentially collect a bunch of money while still doing that, so how does any living soul look at this and think the guy has done anything other than made a horrible mistake? Blizzard is not UNICEF.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Exactly what I was thinking lol!
He did the right thing. Although I would've requested a launch copy of Diablo 4 instead of Overwatch. Dude probably has it.
Yep. $250 seems silly too, should just be a "Lifetime full access to everything on Battle.net", and the trip to Blizzcon was worth it from their end just for the PR, never mind for securing the disc.
Fallout-NL
Member
Yes he got rewarded big time. Even if he had only received $250. The alternative is being sued into oblivion.
Based on a brief bit of research, source code is intellectual property covered by copyright and belongs to the authors for 95 years or the author's life plus 70 years in the US.
Based on a brief bit of research, source code is intellectual property covered by copyright and belongs to the authors for 95 years or the author's life plus 70 years in the US.
Coreda
Member
No one would use eBay for this. Given step 3 it would already have too much attention and be closed early (this has occurred in the past). But let's say it was a less visible auction there may be buyers who'd want PayPal's buyer protection in case it was a scam (you'd have zero feedback remember), and PayPal has a withdrawal limit for unverified accounts (those that haven't had a bank acc./CC confirmed), not to mention PayPal locks such accounts commonly if they trip their algorithms with unusual activity. That said, I doubt either party would want to use something connected with their real identities.
It would be hard to organize payment while ensuring the buyer isn't scammed for someone selling this while trying to remain anonymous. Assuming this sold for a sizable sum the buyer would have to trust you completely with whatever payment they used.
GrimDarkDarrel
Member
That's all fair. At least we're on the same page here. Devise a way to sell the original disc and make sure the data reaches the internet in a way that is not legally actionable. escrow and bitcoins maybe.
If people don't realize this is an option, sure, give it to Blizzard I guess, but the posters who look at returning the disc to Blizzard as being a meaningfully morally superior option just baffle me.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
giant_frying_pan
Member
His only mistake was asking for Reddit's advice.
What I completely fail to understand here is why do people think, for some reason, that they have a right to "preserve" the source code of the game, of which they never had access to in the first place....
I get it, it is a historical game, but we already have dumps of the original version that was given to the public, so thats been preserved.
Blizzard itself is a private games company, they have no obligation to "preserve" their own IP and leak the source so others can mindlessly make mods/copies.
Fair enough, if the company is defunct and the game is not distributed at all any more, fair game. But otherwise it should always be a no.
I get it, it is a historical game, but we already have dumps of the original version that was given to the public, so thats been preserved.
Blizzard itself is a private games company, they have no obligation to "preserve" their own IP and leak the source so others can mindlessly make mods/copies.
Fair enough, if the company is defunct and the game is not distributed at all any more, fair game. But otherwise it should always be a no.
Jawmuncher
Member
I'd have taken the money selling it over a blizzcon trip
Yep. Agree with this. Though I guess since he already made the mistake of not using a throwaway reddit account and already let himself be known to Blizzard's lawyers, the current situation is probably the best outcome he could have asked for.
entitled peasants? do you see a lot of them, are you a medieval lord?
Coreda
Member
It's pretty crazy, yeah. Well I guess you could leak the ISO from an unregistered mobile internet SIM, which are readily available in my country, you'd still do something illegal of course.
It's nice to see how Blizzard handled the case and while I wouldn't care at all for having Battlenet Balance or a Blizzcon ticket(if it were E3 it would be a different case) it might be quite the gift for a Blizzard fan. I guess they are doing this to show others that they are willing to pay a nice finders fee to anyone providing them such material.
Retail version of the game would have to be reverse engineered out of Blizzards format and out of binary format to even be functional.
This version would have all the code, how its compiled into the main game, comments by devs, trade secrets etc. The fact that you can make a mod based on the original game, or have people modify the game so it can still be run on different servers is what makes source code so significant.
However in this case, I find its not very significant at all. The IP is owned by Blizzard, the disc is stolen, it was never released to the public to begin with so no one has any right to "preserve" it or whatever excuse they come up with.
The original game is being remastered and will be supported, so people can still play that. The original game is also available to download for free. So to be fair, there is no legit reason to why it should be "preserved". The company still releases the game, they havent gone bust or anything.
The reddit posters are pretty bad but so are the ones in this thread talking down to people who have the audacity to voice their opinion about what he should have done.
I agree that what he got was not worth the value of the disc but he backed himself into a corner the moment he spilled the beans.
Did Blizz let him negotiate a deal or did he just take up the first thing they offered?
I agree that what he got was not worth the value of the disc but he backed himself into a corner the moment he spilled the beans.
Did Blizz let him negotiate a deal or did he just take up the first thing they offered?
Thank you for explaining! Then I do understand why this is, in relative terms of course, a big deal.
soxinthebox
Member
Hopefully he has multiple backups of the iso on some hard drives